Fixation
by jeffthemermaid
Summary: Hermione and Draco have been married for years, have multiple children at Hogwarts, and another on the way. They love each other passionately, though things aren't perfect, and there is something sinister going on with Hermione's daughter Rose. Will they continue to survive the struggle of marriage and raising a family? CUSSING. SMUT. DRAAAMMAA.
1. All My Children

**A/N: Replaced Chapter 15th January 2019**

It was early evening on Christmas Day when Draco Malfoy entered his home, accompanied by a snowy gust of wind, laden with last minute packages for under the tree. Snow dripped from his clothes as he stashed his packages under the proud Douglas Fir in their living room before hurrying to the kitchen, which was filled with warmth and mouth-watering aromas.

"I'm home." He announced, practically drooling as the scent of roasting turkey, vegetables and gravy filled his nose. "And this place smells amazing."

A very pregnant Hermione Granger was checking the progress of the sizeable turkey in the oven when her husband arrived home from his errands. Their youngest child, two-year-old Thomas, clung to his mothers' leg and giggled in delight as she prodded the bird. Once satisfied with her cooking Hermione closed the oven and turned to greet her husband.

"Malfoy, I had started to wonder if you'd gotten lost in the snow." She said with an amused smile. She pressed a hand to her back as she stooped to pick up little Thomas and put him on her hip where he melded around the side of her swollen bump before she closed the distance between herself and Draco. She finished her greeting by planting a happy kiss on his cold mouth.

"Sorry I'm late darling, Muggles are treacherous during the holidays." Draco apologised after he'd returned her kiss, planted another on his youngest son's head and stooped down to cup her baby bump and kiss her belly through her jersey's fabric. Hermione smiled down at him and brushed the snow from her husband's hair affectionately.

"That's okay, I'm glad you're home. I do need to finish up in here though, so please take this little man off my hands."

Hermione waited until Draco had got up, and removed his outdoor coat, hat and gloves before she passed their son to him and enveloped them both in a quick hug before returning to her stove and the almost-ready feast cooking on, and inside it.

Thomas babbled happily as Draco carried him into the dining room, secured the toddler in his high chair and began setting the long oak table. Hermione had brought all the festive holiday decorations out for him, and by the time he was finished the table looked beautiful and very Christmassy.

A fire was crackling merrily at the end of the room, and back in the living room the Douglas Fir twinkled proudly over the presents stacked beneath it.

Hermione tried not to focus on it as she finished her tasks in the kitchen, but she was a little nervous about the evening ahead. They were expecting their entire family around for Christmas dinner, and it would be the first time they'd all been in the same room together. It had taken a lot of work to pull off creating the event, Hermione wasn't sure she was ready to go through with it and her sensitivity inducing hormones caused by the baby growing in her belly weren't helping.

She was doing her best to keep her mind off it as she garnished the cheesecakes she'd made for dessert when her husband re-entered the room accompanied by their entire brood of children.

Hermione smiled when Draco walked in, she was pleased to see all of her children were cleaned and groomed, and each was wearing the Christmas jerseys Molly Weasley has knitted them. Well, almost all of them.

"Rose, in Merlins name, what are you wearing?" She asked incredulously, folding her arms crossly when her eyes landed on her 17-year old daughters tiny crop top and ripped skin-tight jeans.

"Clothes." Rose retorted, her bright eyes flashing defiantly as her hands went to her hips.

"That is not what we wear to Christmas, or anywhere if you want to maintain your dignity." Hermione reprimanded Rose, her demeanour calm until Rose responded by simply rolling her eyes.

Hermione took a deep breath and turned to Draco, her expression imploring him to help. Draco nodded to her and turned to Rose, keeping his voice stern as he voiced his agreement. "Go and change. Put on the jumper from your grandmother like your siblings have please."

Rose's nostrils flared as anger immediately flushed her face.

"Sure thing, _DAD._ " She spat venomously before exiting the room and slamming the door after her. Draco balled his hand into a fist and turned away from the other kids, forcing himself to push his anger down to deal with later.

How, after more than a decade of feeding, clothing and loving her, she couldn't accept him as a stepfather he couldn't understand. They had a blended family, and sure that came with fresh difficulties for both parents and children. However, Rose's brother Hugo, Hermione's other child from her previous marriage to Ronald Weasley, had accepted Draco after some time had passed and Draco loved him as dearly as any of his other children. His son Scorpius, from his own previous marriage to Astoria Greengrass, was the same age as Rose and he had adjusted easily. Hermione loved him fiercely and he returned the sentiment. It was only Rose who continued to make all her parents lives difficult with her open and obvious hatred for silver-haired stepfather.

Hermione was disappointed in her daughters' actions, however unfortunately her antics were a regular feature and right then Hermione had more important things to focus on. She pushed away the hurt her eldest daughters' disrespect to her love caused and returned her attention back to the rest of her children.

Besides the troublesome Rose, who much resembled her Aunt Ginny and was exceptionally beautiful, clocking in at 17 years old was Scorpius, Draco's son from his first marriage. He was a wonderful boy, and one who Hermione referred to simply as her son. She had a close bond with him, and he strongly resembled his father and most of the Malfoy line. He was a pale, handsome, thin and blond, but unlike many of the Malfoy's, he had a heart of gold. Next was Hugo, who like Rose, was a child of her previous marriage to Ron Weasley. Hugo was a short, overweight, handsome 15-year-old who always made people laugh with his wit and sarcasm, the latter of which had been carefully nurtured by Draco himself.

The oldest of Hermione and Draco's children together was Julius. He was 12, skinny, brainy and almost always had his nose in a book. Then came Ariana, she was 9 and often needed reminded to use her inside voice. Her wildly curly silver hair was always a mess and she was constantly trekking mud indoors and bringing home exciting finds from her many adventures. Next was Jeffrey, he was a delightful 4-year-old who cared about nothing more than unicorns and enjoyed dressing up in his mother gowns. Their most recent addition was Thomas, the giggling 2-year-old who already had a mop of bushy brown hair like his mother and generally really enjoyed naptime.

Hermione put her hands on her bump and her happiness was momentarily subdued as she interacted with her bright and happy children. Whenever the holidays came around her heart hurt a little as it made the memories of the child she'd carried after Ariana cling to the edges of her mind. Hermione had given birth to a stillborn baby, who would've been six this year. Hermione thought of him often, they'd chosen not to name him, but she thought of him as her lost angel.

The death had affected both her and Draco deeply, Draco taking it particularly hard. It was a long time before they even considered unprotected sex after that. After a while though they healed a little and a year later, they welcomed Jeffrey into the world.

Presently Hermione was six months pregnant, and after a long discussion and a few tears she and Draco had agreed this baby would be their last. They loved all their children and wouldn't exchange them for anything, but they both felt ready for this baby to complete their family. Draco liked to joke it was their last because he was running out of room on his shoulder blade, where he had all their children's names tattooed, including 'Angel' for their deceased infant, despite his mother Narcissa's protests about marring his flawless skin.

Scorpius, Hugo, Julius, Ariana, Jeffrey, and Thomas (who'd escaped his highchair) were avidly talking over one another, too excited for Christmas to bother about Rose's behaviour. They were all milling around the kitchen, the older boys trying to steal food and Ariana busy scolding them whilst the young ones ran around joyously squealing about the prospect of presents.

Their guests were due to start arriving, so Hermione rounded up her rowdy children and sent them to the living room to await their arrival, and to get them out of her kitchen. Working together she and Draco dished up the feast she'd prepared and set the food on the table, covered to stay hot. Once everything downstairs was ready, both hurried upstairs to their bedroom to get ready to greet their guests.

Draco changed quickly into a nice pair of dress pants and an expensive jacket. Once he'd fixed his hair he sat on their bed and watched Hermione as she changed into a beautiful red dress. He watched her as she put her curly hair up, applied a touch of mascara, some lipstick and spritzed her intoxicating perfume behind her ears and onto her throat. The dress hugged her body beautifully, accentuating her baby bump and giving him just a glimpse of cleavage thanks to her ample and pregnancy swollen breasts. Draco was particularly appreciative of that side effect of growing a baby.

"Will you clasp this necklace please?" Hermione asked her husband once she'd put on a pair of pretty but comfortable flats and approached where he was sitting on their sprawling bed.

"Of course." Draco stood and took the necklace. She turned around and he lowered the necklace over her head and clasped it at the nape of her neck, pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder as he did so.

"You look good Granger." He murmured, his mouth still against her warm skin.

His words, as well as the sensation of his lips sent chills up and down Hermione's spine and brought a smile that she couldn't contain to her features.

"You shine up pretty nice too." She complimented him warmly as she turned around and straightened his jacket collar, eliciting a pleased smirk from her husband. He was about to kiss her again when their moment was interrupted by the shrill sound of the doorbell.

A little reluctantly they headed downstairs, Draco walking ahead but reaching back to hold Hermione's hand affectionately from in front since they didn't fit side by side on the narrow stair case.

"I'm sorry about Rose." Hermione said quietly and squeezed Draco's hand when they reached the hall.

"Don't even worry about it." Draco said kindly and gave her hand a squeeze in return. "Let's worry about all of our parents. And our ex's."

Hermione took a deep breath and tried not to shudder as they approached the door.

"Let's do it."

Both fixed smiles on their faces as Hermione opened the door, and one by one they greeted their guests as they arrived. Molly and Arthur Weasley were a warm welcome, Molly resented Hermione for leaving her son, but loved her grandchildren too much to ever mention it, and Arthur was always fun and excited to be with them. Harry and Ginny and their children arrived next and they had brought many presents and wine with them. Draco tolerated Harry for Hermione's sake. He didn't invite any of his own friends, because truth be told, the ones he had left weren't family people.

The Potter's arrival was followed by Astoria Greengrass, Draco's ex-wife, who came alone, and she was followed by Hermione's parents who were polite and affectionate but generally quiet people. Draco's parents arrived next, their arrival was a little cold as Lucius Malfoy did not like Hermione and her Muggle-born blood, and Narcissa mostly did as her husband wished. Last to arrive was Ron Weasley, and not only had he shown up late and clearly not sober, he had his new girlfriend on his arm. She was only two years older than Rose and Scorpius and her dress was so short all the guests could see her butt cheeks.

Draco lead the guests to the dining room and Hermione closed the front door with a sigh of relief. She leaned against it for a moment, she had made it through greetings, thank merlin. Now all she had to do was make it through the rest of the evening. The biggest hurdle was Ron. He was barely was interested in his children and usually far too interested in showing off his ridiculously young and perky girlfriend. Astoria was a stiff cow too, her snide remarks and insults always wore Hermione's patience thin, as did her father in law's disapproval. Everyone else ought to be fine, even Harry whom she had remained good friends with despite his continuing support of Ron.

With a deep breath she pushed herself off the door and herded her children through to the dining room. Once everyone had been seated and a few toasts had been made everyone began helping themselves to the delicious food Hermione had prepared.

Unfortunately, as anyone could have predicted, things were awkward during dinner.

Rose was sullen and kept dropping hints to her father that she wanted to live with him, much to Hermione's chagrin. Ron barely noticed her however and kept talking over people to remind them how young and accomplished his girlfriend was. The senior Weasleys and Malfoys couldn't even look at each other, and the Potter children kept rudely correcting Julius, Ariana, Jeffrey and Thomas every time they called Molly or Arthur their grandparent. Luckily Molly and Arthur treated every baby from Hermione's womb like family and wouldn't hear of them calling them anything else besides grandma and grandpa, which Hermione was always grateful for. After her painful divorce from Ron she had feared they wouldn't keep an ex daughter in law in her heart, but they had, at least for the grandchildren. Hermione's parents spent most of the evening looking bewildered and smiling through the awkwardness. The worst part though was Astoria. She kept commenting on how thin Scorpius was, eventually going to far as to hint that he was underfed because Hugo was eating his portions. Draco had silenced her immediately, but the damage was done. Hermione was angry beyond belief, and Hugo was obviously humiliated, he quietly stopped eating and didn't partake in any more food throughout the night.

After dinner and dessert, the mood in the house changed a little as the children all become loud and excited for presents. All the children had a wonderful time opening their gifts, and most of the adults did too, given the circumstances. Once presents were over and most of the food was eaten people began leaving, and around midnight Draco and Hermione bade goodnight to the last of their guests.

They celebrated getting through the evening with a glass of champagne (sparkling apple juice for Hermione) and leftover cheesecake on the couch with their feet up. It was the part of that Christmas they cherished most, the quiet part that was just each other and all their beautiful children. The happiness of watching their brood all together made a kind happiness and warmth well up inside each of them that was entirely inimitable.

They watched their children play with their new toys and gadgets on the floor around the tree happily for an hour or so after their guests left before they began herding the whole bunch up to their beds.

Hermione began the bedtime rounds tiredly. Her feet were sore from cooking and cleaning all day, her baby belly grew heavy on her small frame. She went to check on the children alone because Draco had volunteered to turn off everything downstairs and lock up the house.

Hermione started with Thomas, brushing his little teeth, and changing him into his fluffy winter pyjamas before she tucked him into his cot gently. The toddler was tuckered out, he barely made a fuss about his bedtime and dropped off to sleep before Hermione had even switched his monitor on. She gave him a soft kiss and exited his room, padding down the hall to Jeffreys room next. He had gotten himself into his pyjamas, they were mismatched and were buttoned wrong, but he was super proud so Hermione high fived him for his efforts and tucked him into his bed. She made sure he had his special pink blanky as he snuggled down and kissed his forehead. "Night baby." She whispered as he kissed her nose and she finished tucking him in. She turned on his nightlight and crossed the hall to Julius's room.

He was already in bed; all his books were with him and he was wearing his new sneakers beneath the duvet. Hermione chuckled when she noticed and sat down beside him on his bed. She tickled him affectionately and raised her eyebrows at the pile of books in his bed.

"You can't sleep with all these books honey, what if you sleep on them and damage them?"

"At least let me keep the shoes?" Julius pleaded as she removed the books and stacked them on his nightstand.

"Alright, just the shoes." She agreed and kissed his hair despite his protests before hauling herself up from his bed. She whispered her love as she turned out his light and left his room, closing the door behind her.

In Ariana's room, she had to dig through a pile of soft toys to find her daughter, who greeted her with cuddles and kisses and didn't want her to go. "Christmas isn't over." Ariana tried, giving her mother her most adorable look. "We don't have to go to bed."

Hermione shook her head in amusement and wagged her finger at her youngest daughter.

"If you don't go to sleep, we can't play with all your toys in the morning." She told her gently and pulling her blankets up over her. "It's bedtime munchkin."

After a brief moment of visible consternation, Ariana agreed to go to bed, but only if Hermione read her a story.

Hermione readily agreed, she read her a lovely story about a green dinosaur, and gave her one last hug before putting on her night light and leaving her alone. Next, she went back downstairs, one hand on her bump, the other on her back as she reached the kitchen. She yawned almost nonstop as she made up a turkey and stuffing sandwich and plated it with some other Christmas treats. She poured a glass of milk and slowly she climbed the stairs again.

She carried the food down the upstairs hallway until she reached Hugo's room. His door was open, and her heart clenched as she entered, she couldn't but notice her sons tear stained face.

"Hey bub." She greeted him softly as she walked in and sat down beside him on his bed. She offered the plate of food and glass of milk to him with a concerned smile. "I brought you a little something, you barely touched your dinner."

Hugo accepted the plate after a moment of deliberation and bit into his sandwich eagerly.

"Thanks mum." He said through a mouthful of stuffing, and the pain in his eyes cut Hermione to her core. She nodded in response and set about undoing her hair as Hugo finished his food. Once he was done, he put the dishes aside and leaned forward to hug his mother tightly. He didn't say anything, he just held onto her and buried his head in her dress. Hermione bit back tears of her own as her sons' shoulders started to shake with sobs and she wrapped her arms around him. She held him tight and rocked him back and forth, inwardly wishing she had whipped out her wand and turned Astoria into a slug or a frog the second her horrible words had come out of her mouth.

She held him until his tears had ceased. Once he'd quieted, she kissed his head and lifted his head up to look at her. "Always remember you are my beautiful boy okay?"

"Okay." Hugo nodded, wiping his eyes as he sat up and let go of his mother. He wasn't embarrassed at revealing his hurt and emotion, even at his tender age in his teenage years he was constantly grateful for his mother's comfort. He was so grateful that she had noticed his pain, and she had cared.

When Hermione left him, she was reluctant to do so, but it was getting dangerously late and he wasn't her last stop and her body ached for her bed.

She yawned as she knocked on oldest sons' door, she'd previously learnt the hard way that it was important to knock on a teenage boy's doors before entering. Scorpius called for her to enter so she opened his door and poked her head inside.

"Hey, you, how was your night?" She asked when she saw his pensive expression. He was lying on top of his bed covers, sprawled identically to the way Draco sprawled on their bed.

"It was fine. Great food and gifts, thanks Mum. It was just my mother being stupid is all. She asked me to come live with her, again." Scorpius informed Hermione unhappily. "I refused."

"Scorpius darling, you should tell your father, she isn't allowed to hound you like this, the court ordered her to stop asking. She isn't allowed to have you, not with her unstable lifestyle." Hermione fretted, entering his bedroom and patting his knee as she lowered herself to sit beside him.

When she first married Draco and Scorpius became part of her life, she had planned to never say an ill word about Astoria, and to never stop Scorpius from seeing her. As it turned out she didn't need to try and adhere to those noble intentions, Astoria was cruel and unreliable, and Scorpius had lost faith in her at a young age.

"It's fine." Scorpius sighed. He patted the hand she had resting on his knee before glancing up at her.

Concern pooled in his eyes and he poked her side gently. "You should be in bed, you look exhausted."

Hermione chuckled and stood up. "You shouldn't tell a woman she looks exhausted Scorpius, you'll get a good slap from some poor girl."

Scorpius pulled his blankets up and grinned at her mischievously. "Nah, they wouldn't risk ruining this handsome mug."

"Uh huh, good night you." Hermione kissed her hand and pressed it to her son's forehead before exiting his room and closing his door behind her.

One more room to go. Then she could go to bed.

Hermione reached Rose's room and stopped outside the closed door. Her daughter hadn't a spoken a word to her all night. "Rose? Can I talk to you?" She called through the door, her tone hopeful.

"Go away." Rose snapped from inside, and Hermione heard her slide the lock on the other side of the door.

"Good night Rose." She said quietly to the door before walking away from her oldest daughters' room sadly. She was too tired to battle with Rose tonight. She padded down the hallway and finally, finally entered her own bedroom.

She walked straight to her bed, kicked off her shoes, shimmied out of her dress and undergarments and collapsed naked onto the silken duvet. Draco was already lying under the covers, arms behind his head, his eyes fixed on his wife's beautiful but clearly exhausted figure.

"That was a magnificent entrance Granger." He told her, his voice gentle as he unfolded his arms and tenderly massaged her belly.

"Mmmm." Hermione hummed her response as she relaxed under his warm and gentle touch.

"Come on, lets get you into bed." Draco said after a few minutes and he sat up and assisted the unwilling to move Hermione under their covers. Once she was successfully ensconced in their gloriously comfortable bed he reached over and turned their beside lamps off, making the room dark. He shimmied down until he was close to his wife and pulled the covers up to their chins.

Hermione's eyes were already closed as he pressed a kiss to her cheek and moulded his body to hers. Draco pushed her curly hair away from her face and lay his hand on her naked belly gently.

"I love you." Hermione whispered, her heart full as sleep claimed her.

"Not as much as I love you." Draco told his sleeping wife before he too closed his eyes and slowly drifted into sleep.


	2. A Closer Look

**A/N: Edited 18th January 2019**

When Hermione and Draco reconnected, she was a recently divorced mother of two and he was a long-time divorced father of one. Draco was in a state of depression. Astoria had proved an unwise choice, his son was miserable, and he was largely shunned by the wizarding community thanks to his and his family's participation the Battle of Hogwarts many years prior. Hermione was devasted by the failure of her marriage to Ron Weasley and was scarred from his many betrayals with other women.

They came into each other's lives as former enemies, and somehow the hard times in their lives helped them connect, and eventually lead to so much more than friendship. As they planned their wedding Hermione suggested they move away from their bad memories and find refuge somewhere far away from the people who hounded her for her brave past, and shamed Draco for his conflicted one. He agreed they needed a fresh start to their lives, away from all that as well as both of their previous marriages.

Hermione wanted to live in one of the many Non-Magical Communities for Witches and Wizards that had been created since the fall of Voldemort. They were placed across England, and they'd been implemented in effort to bridge the gap for the Muggle-born and to provide witches and wizards places to live peacefully amongst Muggles. In these communities no magic was permitted, and the Minister of Magic had had strong spells cast over the areas, spells that made magic impossible to perform. Witches and wizards were permitted to live with their wands, potions and other magical items locked away, but were entirely unable to use any whilst within the community's physical boundary's.

Draco had been a little reluctant at first, he'd only ever lived in the Malfoy mansion (which his parents had gifted him when his father originally went to Azkaban, and after his eventual release they'd moved to London) and he'd been surrounded by magic for his entire life. However, after Hermione explained about how she'd grown up without magic, and gone to normal education institutes before Hogwarts, and essentially had the best of both worlds, he found himself onboard with the idea.

Hermione herself was reluctant to live without the magic she loved so dearly, but she wanted her children to grow up grounded the way she had. Draco had grown up in the elitist wizarding world, as had Scorpius, and neither really had any idea how to live without magic, but as a family they faced the challenge together.

After their wedding they purchased a new home, it was a rambling old house in outer London, in a Non-Magic community, and it was the beginning of their life together. Despite being happy with this living arrangement, Draco had been unwilling to part with his family home and so most summers and holidays were spent at Malfoy Manor. The family travelled there together and there they stored all their magical possessions and artefacts.

As their family grew some of there the children became old enough to use magic outside of Hogwarts, and at Malfoy Manor they could do so freely, as did Hermione and Draco, and everyone revelled in the opportunity. The younger children were also able to develop their skills naturally like all witches and wizards were supposed to.

Their choice worked well, there were bumps in the road at first, and they both missed magic terribly, but eventually things straightened out and by the time they reached their most recent Christmas both Hermione and Draco were pro's at balancing living with and without magic.

Solving things without magic was difficult, and Draco had had to learn how to use all sorts of new things, like microwaves, computers, cars and the laundry room. To this day he despised traffic, he wished to merlin he could just apparate to where he needed to go on a near daily basis.

Living with magic was different, though things like the internet, the West End and Muggle restaurants made the changes much sweeter. It was a balancing act and there had been trying times.

The hardest times were the days when the children were injured or hurt, like when Ariana broke her arm or when Scorpius was beaten by bullies. Those were the moments Hermione wished to flick her wand and cast spells to heal them as easily as she would have when she was a teenager.

In dark times, she wondered if she were a terrible person for making her family suffer what Muggles had to suffer through, things that wizards could fix with a wave of a wand. But her children had always recovered, and they learnt lessons that people who'd grown up with magic never got to learn.

Hermione and Draco had also agreed not to take on fake Muggle jobs despite living amongst their non-magical neighbours. Hermione had been Head of the Department of Wizarding Law before she married Ron, and when she'd finished raising her children, she had dreams of returning to that field of work. Draco was independently wealthy; his family's fortune was more than enough to cover their family for centuries to come. When Ariana was a baby, he had however written an account of his time as a Death Eater and of the events that happened during that period of his life. The book had been published and become a bestseller in wizarding bookstores.

The book had opened the door to the wizarding community and slowly he had become somewhat accepted into the fold. Eventually, after many philanthropic endeavours with the earnings from the novel he had earned a place on the Hogwarts school board. He had accepted the position gladly, and it was a pleasure as Hermione had been a member of the board for years and it became a responsibility they enjoyed having together. Hermione loved his book, and she used it as a tool to explain their fathers complicated past to the children.

It was all these decisions and experiences, as well as countless others, that bring us to the present day, the day after Christmas.

It was far too few hours after the sun rose when Hermione reluctantly untangled herself from Draco's embrace and climbed out of her warm bed. Goose bumps rippled across her naked skin as she hurried through the early morning air to her en-suite bathroom. She turned on the shower, leaving it running so the water could heat up, and brushed her teeth while she pulled a towel from the cabinet and hung it over the bath rail.

Once the water was at her favourite temperature Hermione stepped inside the glass enclosure and relaxed under the cleansing waterfall. Steam filled the room and her throat as she hummed a tune softly and washed her thick hair with well-practiced hands. Once she was squeaky clean and she had sufficiently woken up Hermione shut off the water and stepped out of shower. She wrapped her herself in the soft over-sized towel she'd chosen and attempted to squeeze some of the water out of her wild hair and padded back into her bedroom.

She dried off her body and moisturised every inch of her skin before dressing in a pair of comfortable pants with a stretch waistband for her swollen baby belly and a woollen jumper. She ran some health increasing oils through her unruly hair and deftly pulled it back into a French braid before finishing her morning routine with a quick application of mascara and lip balm.

Once dressed she walked back to her bed where her husband was still fast asleep with his face buried in a pillow and his arms and legs sprawled across most of the bed.

Hermione sat down on the small space left beside him and ran a hand through his hair affectionately. She smiled slightly in the low light of the early hour as Draco stirred and grumbled nonsense words in his sleep. Inside her belly her unborn child seemed to share their fathers' sentiments about waking and kicked their mother uncomfortably until she rubbed her bump gently and whispered soothing words to both father and child. When her baby settled, she started drawing lazy circles on the bare skin of Draco's back with her fingers. Tenderly she caressed his smooth skin, stopping to trace over the tattoos of their children's names on his shoulder blade until slowly but surely Draco woke up.

"Mmhhmm, can't keep your hands off me huh?" Draco said groggily, his voice muffled as he turned his head to look at his wife.

"Never." She replied with a wink and drew her hand from his skin as he rolled over and sat up.

"How embarrassing, a Gryffindor obsessed with a Slytherin! What will people say." He teased as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes before stretching and yawning.

"I doubt they'd say much." Hermione responded dryly and leaned forward to plant a kiss on his forehead before she stood up. "However, our children will have a lot to say if I don't go downstairs and start on breakfast."

"Ooh, please make waffles." Draco implored Hermione, his suggestion unintentionally well timed with the arrival of their earliest waking children.

"WAFFLES!" Ariana and Jeffrey shrieked in excitement as they burst through their parent's doorway and ran straight for their bed. They were clad in the fluffy pyjamas still and their sleep-made hairstyles were quite entertaining to behold.

"Waffles it is I guess." Hermione consented, folding her arms and smirking as the ridiculously cute Ariana and Jeffrey clambered onto the bed and began jumping all over their father in excitement.

"Save me!" Draco begged through his laughter as Ariana jumped on him and attempted to tickle him under his chin. "Have mercy!"

"Good luck with that." Hermione chuckled before escaping quickly from the room before she could be entangled in the playful antics. She had far too much to do, and this way at least they would be occupied while she cleaned up from the mess the night before.

Once she was downstairs, she grabbed a rubbish bag and set about throwing away all the ribbons and gift-wrap strewn around the living room and any half-eaten food that had been left out overnight. The fire in the kitchen and the one in the living room had been packed in well by Draco the night before so she was able to fill them with kindling and get them going immediately without the hassle of lighting them from scratch. Once the fires were tended, she cleaned down the kitchen and opened all the curtains downstairs. Weak sunlight poured in, sparkling on the fresh snow outside and on the newly cleaned surfaces inside the house.

Hermione had just finished mixing up her waffle batter recipe when she heard Thomas start fussing in his cot through the kitchen baby monitor. Pleased with his immaculate timing she put the batter away in the refrigerator and headed back upstairs to get him up. By the time she had fed him, (he was at the age where she usually liked to wean her children off being breast fed but her current pregnancy had her breasts so full she welcomed the release of feeding him), and changed him enough time had passed that when she arrived back in her bedroom with Thomas in her arms her beds population had grown to include Julius and Hugo. The younger boy was reading a book amongst the chaos, and the older was patiently allowing Jeffrey to apply unicorn stickers to his forehead despite his half-hearted protests.

"Good morning everyone." She greeted them affectionately and put Thomas down on the bed where he toddled over to his father immediately and planted a slobbery kiss on his shoulder.

"Well good morning to you to young man." Draco said with mock disgust and picked Thomas up to give him a cuddle as the rest of the children chorused good mornings to their mother.

"Shall we go have breakfast?" Hermione asked the group with a mischievous wiggle of her eyebrows. "Dad's making waffles."

The immediate response to this announcement was a loud chorus of groans and protests.

"No!" Julius lamented, looking up from his book in horror. "It's been almost six weeks since the last time we had to use the fire extinguisher."

Draco was indignant as he rose from the bed, dragging half the kids with him. "The disrespect for my culinary skills is appalling." He muttered, feigning offense and glaring at his wife as she giggled helplessly in the doorway.

"Dad, seriously. You can't cook, unless Mums cooking those waffles, I'm starting a hunger strike." Scorpius joined the hubbub from the hallway, peering around Hermione to give his dad a look. He was dishevelled and extremely sleepy, but his candour was enough to make both his parents laugh and Draco happily accepted defeat, it wasn't as if he had any desire to cook breakfast in the first place

"Never fear, the waffle maker is here." Hermione assured her children and she herded them out of her bedroom and towards the stairs. Usually the younger children would fight one another for the opportunity to help their mother make exciting food like waffles or pancakes. They'd generally cover themselves and half of the kitchen in batter in the process, however all of them were far too busy playing with their new Christmas toys to even suggest getting involved.

Draco, Scorpius, and Hugo seated themselves on the bar stools at the kitchen counter and chatted with Hermione while she set up her toppings and set up the gridle to make their breakfast. Draco made a pot of coffee and he and Scorpius both sipped it as they perused that mornings paper's crossword. Hugo was scrolling idly on his phone, and beyond them Julius and the younger children sat at the table, his book still in his hands and toys in his siblings'.

Hermione was pouring the first batch of waffles into the hot gridle when their only absent child arrived in the kitchen. Rose pranced in, eyes glued to her cell phone as she sat down on the last stool at the counter. Her face was caked in makeup and she was wearing a pair of ridiculously tight overalls and a bodysuit-thing that Hermione neither understood nor approved of. Her get up was in stark contrast to the pyjama clad family around her, and even to Hermione who was dressed. Draco stared at Rose for several seconds before turning to his wife and raising an eyebrow at her over his newspaper. Hermione shook her head Draco, attempting to quash any ill situation arising. She was determined to just have a peaceful day.

"Good morning Rose darling, did you sleep well?" She asked, offering her daughter a smile.

"Would have been better if I was at Dad's." Rose replied snippily without looking up from her phone.

Hermione bit her lip and she swallowed back a curt remark about Ronald Weasleys parenting skills before taking a moment to inhale a deep breath. Instead of responding to her daughters jibes she piled her first batch of waffles onto a plate and handed them over the counter to Hugo.

"Can you put this on the table for the little children please?" She asked her son, relieved when he diligently did as he was asked. It was a relief to her that not all her children disrespected her at every turn.

Hermione turned her attention back to Rose, specifically avoiding looking at her husband as she could already feel his irritation across the counter. She noticed Rose's familiar scowl, it was the one she always wore when people didn't respond emotionally to her manipulations. She ignored it because she genuinely wanted to be able to connect with her oldest daughter with the ease they used to have.

"Rose darling, do you have any plans today?" Hermione tried, talking as she began chopping some fresh fruit to accompany the next batch of waffles sizzling on the gridle.

"Oh my god what is with the inquisition?" Rose demanded. She finally looked up from her phone so she could swing her legs up and rest her feet on the barstool Hugo was about to return to.

"Stand fatty." She sneered cruelly before returning her attention to her phone.

"Don't be such a bitch to your brother." Draco interjected loudly, looking entirely vexed as he put down his newspaper and crossed his arms. He usually preferred to give Hermione the chance to deal with Rose as she saw fit, but he was beyond sick of her cruel and disrespectful behaviour.

"Mum! Draco just called me a bitch!" Rose squealed, fake tears gathering in her eyes as she switched gears and implored her mother for sympathy.

Hermione picked up her spatula and waved it at her family with a glare that was somewhat reminiscent of Professor McGonagall. "Draco, don't swear at the children, Rose, apologize to your brother, that is no way to speak to him."

Rose just rolled her eyes in response, her tears immediately drying, and continued to text on her phone and boldly disobey her mothers' instructions.

Draco glowered at Rose for several long seconds as she ignored her mother and showed no remorse for her nastiness. He chewed the inside of his cheek pensively before, with his eyes flashing thunderously, he reached across Scorpius and snatched Rose's phone off of her.

"Oi!" Rose shouted in surprised anger. "That's mine! Give it back asshole!"

"Shut up and go and apologize to your brother like your mother said." Draco ordered stonily and tucked her phone into his pyjama pocket. He picked his newspaper back up and shook it out before unfolding it. Over the top of the pages he could see Rose's face turning a bright shade of pink and her eyes narrowing into incensed green slits.

"I hate you!" Rose burst out as she stood up and pushed her stools over. It clattered to the floor loudly as she continued with her tantrum. "You're so stupid, stealing my stuff like you stole my life, why don't you just do us all a favour and fuck off?"

"Rose! Go to your room at once!" Hermione interjected, seizing control of the situation before it could get any uglier.

"Fine, take his side!" Rose practically screamed before she burst into tears and stormed out of the room. They could hear her as she shouted insults at her parents all the way up the stairs before the slam of her bedroom door cut out the sounds of her tantrum.

Everyone sat in silence for a moment, the tension unbearably thick, until Hermione noticed her waffles were ready. She quickly took them off the gridle and added them and the fruit she'd been cutting to a platter.

She looked around at everyone's sad and angry faces and heaved an inward sigh before putting on her cheeriest smile and holding up her handiwork for her family to see.

"Alright everyone, let's have some breakfast."


	3. Roses Have Thorns

**A/N: Edited 23rd** **of January 2019**

 **A/N: In this fic Scorpius and Teddy aren't related. Mostly because I forgot they were in the first place. And now I ship it. Also Teddy's gonna be Scorpius's age, because, reasons.**

Later that day Hermione was sitting with Jeffrey at her bureau in her bedroom. Her little boy was happily applying her makeup and skincare products and when he was finished, she was packing them into her suitcase. Scorpius was lying on her bed reading aloud the occasional funny post he came across on the internet as he scrolled through social media on his phone.

Hermione ticked items off on the list in front of her as she packed them, while she simultaneously created a mental list of tasks she had to do by the end of the day. Early the next morning the whole household would be catching a train to the countryside, and there they would spend a week at Malfoy Manor before the older children went back to Hogwarts.

"Is Teddy meeting us at the train station darling?" Hermione asked Scorpius as she accepted a lipstick from Jeffrey and added it to the makeup bag inside her open suitcase. She was referring to Scorpius's boyfriend-of-two-years, the blue-haired and enchanting Teddy Lupin.

"Yep, he'll be there by 6am." Scorpius replied, his tone dry. "He's beyond excited."

"Perfect." Hermione said as she finished packing her suitcase. "Would you mind checking on Julius and Hugo's packing? I need to help the little ones."

"No problem." Scorpius rolled off his parents' bed and wandered off the down hall in search of his younger brothers. Not that he'd say it out loud, but he too was excited for the morning. Not only did he love going to Malfoy Manor and using magic, he also missed Teddy terribly. He didn't speak of such things regularly, but he was happier when he had his boyfriend by his side.

Back in her bedroom Hermione helped Jeffrey tidy up his lipstick and then ushered him down the hall to Thomas's bedroom. Her youngest child was sitting up in his crib and seemed pleased to see his mother when she arrived. She picked him up and set him down beside Jeffrey and set them up with building blocks to play with. Quickly and methodically Hermione packed a suitcase for Thomas, then after checking they were happy, she ducked into Jeffreys room and packed his suitcase as well.

Once she'd finished, she added their suitcases to the growing stack in the hall way and moved both her sons to Ariana's room. The 9-year old happily entertained her younger brothers with her dinosaur stuffed animals while her mother packed up her things for the trip. Once Hermione pushed Ariana's suitcase into the hall and checked her three youngest children off her to-do list she stopped for a moment and looked around for her husband.

"Malfoy?" She called out as she popped her head into various rooms and navigated the half-packed suitcases piled in doorways.

"You called m'lady?" Draco said as he exited their bedroom, towing his suitcase behind him.

Hermione smiled and walked over, slipping her arms around his waist as she came to stand in front of him. "I see your packed already, I'm impressed." She praised him and pressed her lips against his.

"Mm, I'm super good at manly stuff like folding shirts and packing suitcases." Draco joked after kissing her sweetly.

"Yes, you are." Hermione said affectionately, enjoying holding him. Draco smiled at her and pressed another kiss to her lips, using the time to place his hands on her round belly and feel the tiny movements of their unborn child. The soft pressure of Draco's warm hands against her swollen stomach was endlessly comforting and reminded Hermione how much she loved her husband and her family. They would have stayed in their warm embrace for the rest of the day if they were at liberty to, however their children made certain such liberties could not be taken.

"Mum! Dad!" Ariana rushed up to her parents, her little face flushed and her eyes sparkling with excitement as she pulled at Draco and Hermione and forced their attention to her.

"What is it munchkin?" Draco asked, turning with Hermione to placate their daughters demanding demeanour. "I can do a handstand, you have to watch me!" Ariana informed them proudly, her tiny nine-year-old body swelling with pride.

"Please show us." Hermione encouraged and shared an amused smile with her husband before turning to watch her daughter. After she'd double checked they were watching her Ariana threw her hands in the air, counted to three and then dropped her hands to the floor and lifted her feet from the ground. Hermione and Draco applauded her both somewhat proud, and a little amused as their child wobbled herself in a pretty good handstand in front of them.

Ariana stood up and bowed proudly. "Your welcome." She said with a grin before scampering off, likely to show off her new skills to her older brothers.

Hermione made use of her daughters' interruption and stepped away from her husband with a rueful smile. "Now, before you distract me again, can you please take these suitcases downstairs? I want everything ready for us to leave in the morning."

Draco smirked at her and grabbed a couple of suitcases. "I can't help it that I distract you, I'm a sexy guy."

"Well take your sexiness and get out of here." She told him, biting back a smile and pushed his shoulder gently.

"Fine, I'm going." Draco leaned back, kissed her cheek and then hurried downstairs before she could scold him.

Hermione watched him go with an amused smirk, then took out the list from her pocket and started forming a plan for the evening ahead. She was about to get started on her plans when Rose's bedroom door opened, and her oldest daughter stepped outside. She hadn't left her room since her episode in the kitchen that morning, and Hermione was surprised to see she looked calm and collected. She was still wearing her ridiculous outfit and had clearly reapplied her makeup as there was no evidence left of the tears she had cried so readily that morning.

"Can I talk to you mum?" Rose asked quietly as she leaned against her door frame with her hands in her overall pockets. The way she held herself in this stance, especially combined with the cold look on her face, was so familiar to Hermione she almost felt deja vu as she looked at her. She couldn't pin point who it reminded her of, so she shook off the feeling and smiled at her daughter.

"Of course you can, let's sit in my room."

Rose nodded and pushed herself off the doorframe. Hermione stopped to check that Jeffrey and Thomas were still playing happily, which they were, and led Rose to her bedroom.

"What's on your mind?" She asked as she sat down on her bed at patted the space beside her. She kept her voice light and decided not to immediately bring up her daughter rudeness from earlier, she interested in why her daughter had chosen to be civil.

Rose sighed heavily and sat beside her. She took a pillow from Draco's side of the bed and began stroking it absently.

"I know I've disappointed you lately and I'm going to try harder and do better, I promise I'll be good." Rose paused mid-spiel and glanced at her mother. When Hermione's face remained impassive, she continued onward, her words rushed. "And since I've apologized now, I was thinking could my boyfriend come on our trip too?"

Hermione pursed her lips, and bit back her initial reaction, which was more or less a rather unpleasant one. When Rose tried to pull these manipulative scams, all Hermione could see was her ex-husbands face and all she could hear was his lies. She quickly decided against calling her offspring a self-indulgent cow like her own younger self would have and followed a more motherly route.

"Rose it's not a real apology if you're just doing it because you want something." She began, frowning as Rose's expression immediately turned sour. "I didn't even know you had a boyfriend, I haven't met him, I'm sorry but he's not coming."

Rose's face immediately flushed red and she stood up, tossing aside the pillow she'd been holding.

"Why not? Teddy's coming! How come you let Scorpius do things and not me?" Rose stamped her foot and put her hands on her hips, glaring at mother intensely.

"Do you love Scorpius more than me? Is it because you want to impress him since you're not his mother?" Rose stooped to pick up the pillow from the floor and clenched it to her chest tightly. "You're such a bitch! I never get anything I want." Rose finished, her voice reaching a high-pitched squeal and her eyes flashing dangerously as she quite suddenly threw the pillow at her mother.

Hermione stood up and caught the pillow mid-air. "That is quite enough out of you." She said sternly, her famous Granger temper showing its face as she placed the pillow on her bed and crossed her arms above her belly. "If you don't stop behaving like this there are going to be serious consequences."

"What're you gonna do about it?" Rose scoffed and threw her hands in the air. "You can't make it any clearer that you love me the least."

"I'm not going to listen to this rubbish." Hermione shook her head and gave her daughter a disappointed look. "I can't reason with you when you act like this." Hermione stepped past her and walked into the hallway.

"Don't just leave!" Rose shouted, bursting into tears before running after her mother. Hermione ignored her and hurried down the stairs, intent on carrying on with her day.

"Stop walking away from me." Rose demanded as she followed her down the stairs. She immediately started crying when she saw that a furious looking Draco had entered the hall below, probably alerted by the noise she was making.

"Rose! Stop shouting." Hermione finally responded to her daughter once she reached the hall and could stand beside Draco. She couldn't help but draw strength from him.

"So, you left me for him! I hate you!" Rose practically screamed as she reached the bottom of the stairs and glared at her parents venomously.

"Don't speak to your mother that way." Draco interjected, stepping in front of Hermione protectively, his expression murderous.

"Oh, shut up you don't control me, you don't even care about me." Rose spat before she stepped down and pushed her step-father away forcefully.

"Rose! Stop that." Draco ordered sternly, recovering his footing and managing to avoid stumbling into his pregnant wife, completely taken aback by Rose's actions.

"Rose, you can't just push people. This behaviour is unacceptable, and certainly proof you shouldn't have a boyfriend." Hermione's own voice was raised now as she stepped around Draco and glared into her daughters' tear-filled eyes. "You are clearly hanging around with a bad influence."

"Oh really, you're questioning my taste in men?" Rose was incredulous as she insulted her mother, and she looked triumphant as she finished speaking. "You married someone who bullied you for years and is probably a murderer. You're setting such a great example for me, aren't you?"

"How fucking dare you," Draco began, fire in his eyes as he practically spat out the words, before Hermione silenced him by placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing gently.

"You've gone too far this time. You cannot say such things." Hermione's voice shook with anger as she addressed Rose, but she kept her face composed. "Go to your room at once. I want you out of my sight."

"No!" Rose shouted, folding her arms, and planting her feet. "If you make me go, you're proving you love _him_ more than me!"

"Go to your room Rose, I'm proving nothing, your accusations are unfounded." Hermione said firmly as Draco put an arm around her and she clutched his hand for comfort.

"Oi! Don't fucking cuddle up to him!" Rose shrieked and lunged forward, completely ignoring her mother's words. With rage-fuelled force she grabbed Hermione and shoved her away from her step-father. Hermione uttered a cry of surprise and lost her footing, she wrapped her hands protectively around her belly as she fell, and she hit the floor with a painful thud.

"Leave her alone!" Draco bellowed furiously, unable to reach Hermione before she fell, but fast enough to grab Rose's shoulders as she attempted to hurt her mother further. He pulled her away from Hermione who was clutching her stomach and grimacing in pain.

"Let me go!" Rose howled and twisted in Draco's grip. She turned and beat her fists against his chest before kicking and snarling as he held onto her tightly and managed to pin her arms to her sides. After a few moments of struggle, she started sobbing in earnest and buried her face in Draco's chest, her cries racking her entire body.

Draco and Hermione looked at each other in mutual horror over their daughters' shoulder, Draco entirely unsure what to do with the wailing girl he had pinned tight in his grip.

 _Let her go_ , Hermione mouthed silently from the floor, hoping it was the right course of action. She had no idea how to navigate this situation and she suspected her husband didn't either.

Draco hesitantly loosened his grip on Rose's arms, and then let her go entirely. Rose immediately ran upstairs, still sobbing, and slammed her door resoundingly behind her. Once she was gone Draco quickly knelt by Hermione and wrapped one hand around her shoulders and pressed the other to her rounded belly. "Are you okay?" He asked, concern creasing his handsome face as he looked her over. Hermione nodded silently, staring at the empty stair case as a tear dripped onto her cheek.

"I'm just stunned."


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: So, due to an oversight in my overtired, many fandoms loving brain, I forgot Teddy is Scorpius's cousin (second cousin? First cousin, one removed?). Thank you, random and valued reviewer, for pointing that out without burning me at stake. (Us Potterhead's amirite) So I'm just gonna go ahead and** **pretend** **they aren't related** **because I'm already shipping them so hard! Hopefully yalls can handle that sugar. So, Teddy + Scorpius = No relation. Yay.**

 **Anyway, enjoy bitches, let me know what you think this time around, I fucking love reading your reactions. And please, come again. *wink***

Bathing, feeding and clothing six children, and getting them, and all their luggage, and their packed lunches, to a train station by 6am is no easy task. But Hermione and Draco managed it, high fiving as their train pulled into the station and they were all accounted for, with addition of Scorpius's boyfriend Teddy Lupin.

Most of her kids were yawning, as was her husband as Hermione herded them towards the ticket master. Rose looked sullen, the weight of her punishment visible on her dejected shoulders. Hermione and Draco had agreed on the consequences of her actions and presented them to her earlier in the morning. She was to be grounded during their holiday and during the first semester at Hogwarts. That meant no attending balls, no trips to Hogsmeade, no quidditch games and none of the festivities over the holidays would be available to her. They also weren't giving her cell phone back until she returned from her first semester, since they weren't useable at Hogwarts anyway. They'd also cut her allowance until further notice. She had cried when given her punishment but neither apologized or done anything else besides ask them, relatively civilly, to leave.

The train they were travelling on was ludicrously fancy and strictly wizarding. Draco had rented an entire train car, using the size of the family as an excuse, though it was more because he hates people in general and enjoys privacy and peace on his holidays.

Hermione had noticed he was a bit tense this morning, she figured it was due to their altercation with Rose the previous day and due to the early hour, so she didn't press the matter.

Their train car was spectacular. Comfortable, soft, spacious blue velvet bench seats stood on either side of polished wooden tables, lavishly set with crisp white table clothes and gleaming silverware lined one wall. That side was lined with windows that began at table height and reached the ceiling, dousing them with the dawn's weak sunlight. Wooden bunk beds made up with luxurious linen lined the opposite wall, all piled high with pillows and fitted with luggage compartments below.

Draco helped the kids put their luggage away and Hermione tucked Thomas into one of the beds, his sleepy eyes shutting immediately in the cosy bunk. She had hoped to do the same with Jeffrey and Ariana but they were both now wide awake with excitement so she set them up at one of the tables. The tables in question were spelled to tend to their occupants needs, to a certain extent of course, but it was a clever and awesome spell. The second Ariana and Jeffrey sat down colouring books, pencils, crayons, and two juice boxes appeared on the table. They kids immediately busied themselves with the exciting new things and Hermione left them to it, sitting down beside Draco and Julius, pleased to be sitting.

Across from her Scorpius, Teddy and Hugo were all devouring the pancakes that had mysteriously appeared before them, despite having only had breakfast an hour ago. The table had provided Julius with a charger and some Wi-Fi and he was happily doodling on his iPad, headphones on, immune to the world. Rose was sitting on a top bunk, writing furiously in a black notebook, her expression troubled.

Hermione laughed as a glass of scotch popped up in front of Draco, her laugh turning to a disapproving frown as he reached for it. "Honey, its 6.30 in the morning."

Draco chuckled, sipping his drink. "Granger, its five o'clock somewhere. And besides we're on holiday." He protested, flashing her his puppy dog eyes. "Fine, fine, then I'm ordering some cards." She relented as Draco made a face. He had loved cards until he met Hermione. Now the only winning he ever did was in his memory's. He could still beat her at chess thank god, she was awful at chess, for some unknown reason, and this comforted him somewhat.

"Oh yes, let's play poker." Teddy suggested as a pack of playing cards appeared in front of Hermione. "Yes!" She agreed as Draco put his head in his hands dramatically. "Your killing me." He whined as a poker set materialised on the table.

"Oh, hush." Hermione chuckled, squeezing his thigh under the table and dealing the cards.

Everyone scrambled through their pockets for cash and the game began. Hermione thought she had them for the first few rounds but then Hugo, who'd been relatively quiet until this point, despite losing almost all his money, suddenly went all in.

"Your bluffing." Scorpius crowed, pushing the rest of his own stash in. Teddy shook his head, his wild blue hair flopping everywhere as he folded with a smirk. Hermione eyed her son suspiciously, unable to discern anything from his poker face. "Alright, all in." She agreed, confident of her hand.

Draco looked at them all furtively, his eyes darting between Hugo and Hermione suspiciously. "I smell conspiracy." He complained, folding his hand, it was shit anyway.

"Moment of truth…" Scorpius sighed, placing his pairs on the table with a flourish.

"Ha!" Hermione cried triumphant, placing her four of a kind on the table, however her victory was short lived as she watched with dismay as Hugo played a Royal Flush to the table. "Ah! You got me." She exclaimed, wounded and proud at the same time.

"Yes! My man!" Draco cheered, fist bumping Hugo across the table.

"You gambled all my money!" Teddy lamented, clutching his boyfriend by his shirt collar and shaking him. "How will we feed our 17 cats? Who will buy me cheeseburgers? Huh?" Scorpius grinned silencing him with a kiss. "Hey, your older than me, your 19, you should be the provider." He argued.

Teddy rolled his eyes. "Poppycock, your dads loaded, you know I only love you for your money."

Draco raised an eyebrow and chuckled as Teddy grinned mischievously. "Careful son, this one's a gold digger."

"She take my money when I'm in need, Yea she's a trifling friend indeed, oh she's a gold digger way over town, that digs on me, Now I aint saying she a gold digger, but she aint messing with no broke niggas, Now I aint saying she a gold digger, but she aint messing wit no broke niggas!" Teddy and Scorpius squawked grooving dramatically as they belted out Kanye's jam.

"Merlin save us." Hermione complained, smiling at her boys having fun. After the laughter died down the boys slowly dissipated, gradually spreading out around the train car.

Draco and Hermione were left alone at their table.

"I'm tired." Hermione admitted, leaning her head on her husband's shoulder. "Tell me about it." He agreed, stroking her hair absently.

"Hey, you know, I'm looking forward to seeing Neville and Luna, that's always a good time." Hermione mentioned, playing with one of Draco's hands. "Yes, I do love their house, always something crazy happening." Draco agreed, enjoying watching and feeling Hermione fiddle with his hand as they talked.

"You know what else I'm looking forward to even more?" Hermione asked, her voice taking on a playful tone. "Oooh, what?" Draco asked eagerly, intrigued by his gorgeous wife's sexy connotation.

"I am looking forward to having sex in your childhood bedroom. I'm looking forward to having sex in your study." She snuggled in closer to him, pulling his hand down to cup her breast, to feel her hardened nipple. "I'm even looking forward to having sex in your bath."

"Ah, stop it Granger." Draco groaned, shifting his pants uncomfortably to try and hide his hardon.

"Ooh, maybe even on the balcony out front, where all the neighbours can see." Hermione teased, giggling at her husband's discomfort, their whispers completely unnoticed by their oblivious children.

"You are a very bad girl." Draco scolded, squeezing his aroused penis through his pants and trying to think about gross things to help his cock stand down. Grandma's, cat vomit, baby diapers, Ron Weasley, ah, there, that did it. He sighed with relief, tickling Hemiones underarm as punishment.

"No!" She squealed, sitting up. "Truce."

"Okay fine, but only coz your pretty." Draco conceded, stroking her hair affectionately. "Otherwise I'd just tickle you to death for teasing me like that."

Hermione stood up, deciding she did need a nap. "I promise I'll make it up to you. Maybe by blowing you under the table at Harry's New Year's Eve banquet."

Draco swallowed, his cock hardening again at the thought. "Is that a threat or a promise?" He called after her as she climbed into a bed. "Both!" She called back cheerily as she pulled up the covers.

Oh god, Draco thought as he carefully adjusted himself and shuffled to one of the two bathrooms at the end of the car.

Once inside he quickly locked the door and whipped his wand out of his coat pocket. He used the Imperturbable charm to soundproof the bathroom and put his wand away. He leaned against the sink and pulled his hard cock out of his jeans. Imagining Hermione's plump lips around it instead of his hand he pumped his cock, rubbing his foreskin back and forth, moaning his wife's name. He pictured her large bouncing breasts, her lily white but cheeks, her creamy thighs, her sweet delicate womanhood, her big brown eyes as he came, groaning as he did so, shooting his load into his hand, jerking it until he went limp again, his sizeable penis sated from the earlier teasing.

He washed his hands and splashed his face with water, refreshing himself before he re-joined his family.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Okay, I got no feedback for the last chapter, hence the long wait for a new chapter while I panicked and doubted myself and procrastinated like a little bitch. Sorry bout it.**

Their arrival at Malfoy Manor was a chaotic one.

Hermione sometimes wondered if her children were capable of following an instruction the first time they were given it.

Though as they ran around screaming in excitement, their magical toys in hand, her wand back in her own, she understood their excitement.

The re-introduction of magic into their lives never failed to wow and excite her family and made the struggle the rest of the year around worth it.

She spent the first day unpacking all of the small children's things and encouraging the older children to do the same.

They had a wonderful dinner, prepared with the ease of magic and she sent them all to bed early, they needed rest for their adventures to come.

The next day they took the fireplace to Diagon Alley and went shopping. Ariana, Jeffrey and Thomas all got new toys and Draco gave all of the older kid's money to go off and buy things with. They arrived back at the manor with all kinds of wonderful things and far, far too much candy.

Rose remained sullen, but everyone else managed to have fun. There were a few incidences between Draco and Rose. She would make a snarky comment, he would ignore her. But then she'd bait him and bait him until even a saint's patience would have been tried. So he would yell at her, and then she'd cry and complain that her mother didn't love her and that nobody cared.

She was also nasty to her siblings, especially Hugo. And Scorpios. She wouldn't let Scorpios and Teddy be alone together or have a moment of peace. She tagged along with them, complaining about Draco and how unfair it was that Scorpios' boyfriend got to come with them.

But things really escalated one evening when Draco, Hugo, Scorpios and Teddy were out gently making Julius play Quidditch with them, Thomas and Jeffrey were asleep and Hermione was relaxing in the huge claw foot tub adjacent to the master bedroom she shared with Draco.

She was happily lying in the steamy water, surrounded by bubbles, reading a book that she had propped up on her swollen baby belly when Rose's high pitched screaming broke the blessed silence.

"Never touch my make up again you little cow!"

"I was just painting!" Ariana wailed. The child had no interest in makeup for her own face, she cared more about swords and dragons. She'd seen all the pretty coloured lipsticks and things Rose had and had used them to paint on a canvas from their art room.

"You've ruined it! It's wasted you stupid girl." Rose threw the remains of her makeup to the ground and kicked it at her young sister.

Hermione hauled herself out of the tub and wrapped her soft in a fluffy bathrobe, extra huge so that she could wrap her belly in it too, and stormed down the corridor.

"What's all this racket?" She demanded as she arrived on the scene, her tone as stern as the frown on her face.

Ariana turned to her bathrobe clad mother, her big eyes pooled with tears, her lip quivering. "I didn't mean to ruin it. I just wanted to use the pretty colours!"

Before Hermione could reply or plan her course of action the boys arrived back inside, just in time for the drama.

"What's she done to Ari?" Draco asked angrily, striding into the room and putting himself between Rose and his youngest daughter.

Ariana gulped back a sob and clung to her fathers side readily, hiding behind him from Rose.

"SHE STOLE MY MAKE UP!" Rose screamed in exasperation. "HOW AM I THE BAD ONE?"

"Your being silly Rose, stop screaming, yes it's yours but there's no need to react like this!" Hermione interjected sternly, glaring at all three of them.

Rose shook her head, eyeing the three of them with hatred. "Of course you defend her. She's Draco's kid so you love her more right? Fucking shoulda known." She threw u her hands and laughed, a rough, barklike laugh.

"It's too much for me to assume that you guys could love me right? I'm too Weasley right? Not enough for you am I Dad?" She jeered, her tone emphasizing what a joke her calling her step father dad was.

"Stop this at once." Draco ordered, visibly mad, his eyes flashing, his face even paler then usual as he tried not to lose his temper.

"Why do you have to say things like this Rose?" Hermione genuinely wanted to know what made her daughter so destructive so that she could try and fix it, help her, and help her become the wonderful woman she could be.

"Ah I hate you!" Rose exclaimed, ignoring the question before storming off.

Hermione debated going after her before deciding it was pointless and set about disciplining the child that would actually listen to her.

"Ariana, it's wrong to take things that aren't yours, you know that."

Her daughter nodded.

"I'm sorry. I really am. Rose hates me!" She sobbed, fresh tears washing away the stains of the old ones.

"No, no, she doesn't hate you, she's just going through some big girl stuff and it's making her mean. But don't let that worry you, you just keep being my sweet girl and don't take things that aren't yours okay?" Draco took over, impressing Hermione with his choice of words.

It warmed her heart a little to see her husband being such a good father. He was her man, her soul mate, her other half. They were a team and they could weather any storm, even Hurricane Rose. Hopefully.

Their youngest daughter nodded dutifully and stopped her tears so they cleaned her up and tucked her away in bed. Hermione read her a few chapters of The Hobbit as she drifted off to sleep and then joined Draco in their bedroom, the house once again quiet.

"Are we gonna talk about Rose tonight?" Draco asked as she entered. He was already in bed, his fluffy green pyjamas on for the cold night, the thick silver comforter pulled up around his chin.

"Nope. Let's talk about something else."

Hermione went and let out her bath, pulled off her robe and changed into a red and gold nightgown.

"Ew there's a Gryffindor in my bed." Draco complained as she climbed in, cuddling next to him on the thick, heavenly mattress, the heavy comforter immediately warming her despite the fact that she hadn't even noticed that she was cold.

"You should be used to it by now sweetheart." She pulled his arm around her and placed her hand on his abdomen.

"I could never get used to you. Your way to exciting." He replied, stroking her belly through the cotton of her gown gently.

"I've had too much excitement for one night." She informed him ruefully. "Just cuddles tonight and I promise we'll leave the kids at your parent's estate tomorrow and go do it in any place of your choosing."

"Ooh really?" Draco wiggled his eyebrows mischievously. "Hogwarts it is."

"Oh drat, you would." She hit him playfully before sighing and closing her eyes.

"Fine. Tomorrow we'll fuck at Hogwarts."


	6. Chapter 6

"Remember that time I dyed my hair pink?" Draco asked from his position in front of the floor length mirror in Malfoy Manors master bedroom.

Hermione glanced at her towel clad husband and shuddered. "Vividly."

"Look, I think I'm getting greys." Draco mused, his brow crinkled in concern as he towelled his silver hair dry.

"How could you even tell?" Hermione giggled, smudging the eyeliner she was applying. "Drat."

Draco turned to her, clearly agonized by her lack on sympathy. "Because I can see they're grey instead of silver Granger. That's how I can tell."

"Well I hope you aren't going to dye them pink." She offered a she stood, winged eyeliner fixed, looking flawless in a green dress coat, black stockings, black ankle boots with silver buckles and nude lipstick. Her own unruly hair was smoothed into a low ponytail.

Her husband on the other hand was looking decidedly less ready to go. He was admittedly gorgeous, clean and smooth, though rather naked, clad only in a dark grey towel that was fastened low on his narrow hips. His pale skin was damp, fresh from the shower and his hair was a spiky mess from his towel drying and his recent inspection.

"You could care a little bit." Draco whined before catching sight of his wife's smirk. "And stop laughing! You won't be laughing when you go grey!"

Hermione covered her mouth, swallowing her laughter as she pulled a crisp white shirt from their closet and tossed it onto the bed followed by a suit and some boxers.

"I'm sorry. This is very serious." She tried, forcing her face to look contrite.

"You're a cold and unfeeling woman." He replied dispassionately.

"And you're running late." Hermione chided, chucking a tie on the bed as well. "Hurry up."

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Watching her children descend upon Narcissa Malfoy was a pleasing sight. Not only because they all looked so happy to see each other, but because Draco and Hermione were happy to see their children off with their grandparents and spend the day alone.

Luscious even managed to crack a cold smile so Hermione felt perfectly justified in leaving her children behind.

They apparated to Hogsmeade and spent some time visiting their old hang outs before walking through the crisp snow to their former home, the famous Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The grounds were quiet, most students were away, visiting their homes for the Christmas holidays. Draco insisted on sneaking in, reasonably wishing to avoid the current professors and remaining students.

Hermione would have liked to see Professor McGonagall, but when faced with the decision of seeing her or carrying out their sordid plans, her choice was already made.

They were sneaking along a corridor, a floor above the Gryffindor common room when Draco stopped leading Hermione, instead turned to face her and pressed her against the wall.

"I kind of want to punish you for being mean to me earlier." He whispered into her ear, his breath hot against her skin. Hermione shivered, her back against the cold wall, her front pressed into Draco's warmth. "How do you propose to do that?" She whispered, her lips scraping his chiselled jaw.

"I'll make it up as I go." Draco smiled devilishly and kissed her roughly, his tongue besieging her mouth.

Hermione whimpered, leaning into him, squeezing her thighs together as he accosted her.

Behind them the wall became a door, the Room of Requirement sensing their needs and opening for them. Draco wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her inside.

The room was semi lit, candles floating above them, silks strung around the room, a plush chaise longue awaiting them in a dark corner. Draco laid his wife down, drawing her hands up above her head and pinning them against the cushions as he knelt above her. His lips left a trail of hot kisses burning across her skin as his attention moved from her mouth to her bosom.

Her baby belly was pressed comfortably against his hard abdomen, his knees between hers, her ankles crossed around his back. Draco forcefully kissed the cleavage he could access, as they were both still fully clothed, his grip on her wrists unyielding as she panted beneath him.

His hardness was pressed against her, throbbing for her almost as much as her core was aching for him. Draco pushed her hands together above her head, holding them with only one of his own as he lifted her dress and pulling her stockings down to her knees. He slipped her cotton underwear to the side, slipping two fingers inside her to access her wetness, hissing as she writhed beneath him, trying to grind against his hand. He removed his fingers despite her protests and kissed her savagely.

Hermione's chest was heaving, her breathing heavy as she lay, pinned, exposed, and wanting.

Her nipples were stiff, her eyes wild with lust as she kissed Draco furtively, moaning, begging him to stimulate her throbbing clitoris.

Draco ignored her, still holding her wrists with one hand as he unbuckled his belt and unzipped his trousers. With a little shuffling he pulled his hard cock free and gave it a few pumps. He directed the pulsing head to her entrance, running the tip up and down her slit a few times, avoiding the clitoris, inciting her even more.

He moved closer and pushed inside her, their closeness incredible as they balanced on the chaise longue, clothes still on, their faces inches apart as he thrust inside her, his girth filling her and making them both grunt in exertion.

Draco had both his hands in hers, their fingers intertwined as he held her down, pushing inside and out, his breath coming in rasps as he alternated between kissing Hermione wetly and resting his head against her breast as he impelled her.

Hermione was in a kind of delicious torture, a slow burning orgasm in its early beginnings from the pleasure her husband's cock provided her, but her clitoris woefully unattended too and aching with desperate need.

"Touch me please babe." She whimpered into his shoulder.

Draco smiled, pleased to have her begging him. "I can't hear you."

Hermione groaned in frustration and raised her voice. "PLEASE!"

Draco rolled his eyes and resumed running his lips along her collarbone.

"Malfoy!" Her frustration evident as she kicked her legs indignantly. His speed was increasing and his breathing becoming more laboured as he ignored her and Hermione began to actually fear he meant to cum and leave her mid build. In desperation for attention, her hands useless, her body pinned, she bit her teeth down on her husband's shoulder.

"Oi!" He shouted, jumping, unhurt due to the layers of clothes but certainly paying attention now.

"I'm sorry I laughed at you!" Hermione panted, earning herself a big kiss and a slender thumb pressed against her nub, Draco expertly manipulating her clitoris until she was caught up with him.

Within in moments she was rocking hard beneath him, her body pulsing with pleasure as she came, his own body becoming rigid as he came just after, spurting his load inside her, the last few thrust pushing deep inside.

"Oh I love you silly man." Hermione mumbled, kissing his head affectionately as he rested on her breast. "Of course you do." He muttered. "I'm sexy as fuck."

"Yeah you are, whether your silver, pink, or grey." She promised as he hugged her tight.

"Same for you babe."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N. I am loving the reviews, thank you so much to everyone who takes time to review! Especially you gems who comment each chapter! The Teddy/Scrpius pairing is very unpopular, I'm thinking of going through and rewriting him as Albus Severus, as suggested by a reviewer, you guys should let me know what you think, you want Teddy to stay or change him? Holla at me.**

Draco was hardly a prodigy in the kitchen. His kids never stopped reminding him of the time he'd almost burned the kitchen down. Seriously you start a fire one time and no one ever shuts up about it. If he was allowed magic in their muggle home he could have fixed the entire kitchen in seconds. But no, instead he'd had to make a terrible mess with the fire extinguisher, (lucky Hermione has insisted on having one in the house), and singed off most of his eye brows in the process.

So now he was the designated dishwasher and only allowed the position of chopping and peeling vegetables. Wonderful. A real use of his time.

He was in a rather sour mood as he stood at the kitchen bench in Malfoy Manor, preparing the vegetables by hand, his wand safely back in his study, Hermione had banned him from using magic, what with the sensitive nature of the evening ahead. They'd been in a state of bliss since their Hogwarts adventure the previous week but with the looming threat of this dinner, the good vibes had dissipated.

His small children were running around the house, playing some game or rather, the noises all happy, if a bit loud, so he wasn't concerned.

His oldest son was intertwined with Teddy on the couch in the parlour, their attempt at watching a movie proving futile. Draco wasn't surprised they were all over each other, if he took how horny he was as a teenager and added another horny boy to that mix, well, he'd have lost his virginity a fuck load earlier he was sure.

But still, dinner needed made and he should probably put a few restrictions on them right? Just in a cool dad kinda way. Draco knew Hermione always went easy on Scorpius, possibly because she wanted him to love her and felt like she had something to prove to her only non-biological child. He understood, fuck, Rose was the cause of the most consternation and hopelessness he'd ever felt. But Hugo was a great kid, and had accepted Draco as readily as Scorpius had Hermione.

However, in light of Rose's behaviour, Draco wanted to make sure Scorpius was pulling his weight and doing well, so he felt the need to keep an eye on him, especially because Hermione gave him a pretty free rein.

Draco finished dicing the carrots on his chopping board and picked up the tray of table linen and cutlery from the bench.

"Oi, lads, tables not going to set itself." Draco announced, setting the tray on the end of the couch, trying to ignore his son devouring his boyfriends face.

"Aw, Dad, we're busy." Scorpius complained, coming up for air, dishevelled and gorgeous, a younger version of his father.

"Busy cleaning the whole house if you don't help me with dinner." Draco threatened, pushing the tray toward him and returning to the kitchen.

With a few more complaints and an expletive or two the two boys began arranging the table to their mother's perfectly written instructions.

"Where's mum?" Julius asked as he entered the kitchen, his eyes glued to the book he was reading.

"She's out doing some errands for tonight." Draco informed his distracted son as he started splitting peas. "You need anything buddy?"

"Yeah I need the sequel to this book, I'm almost finished and I know it's in her library, but it's locked." Julius glanced up from the pages before him briefly, his eyes burning with passion. "I cannot wait between books."

Draco chuckled, having seen the same look of pain on his wife's face countless times over the years. "Oh bud you have no idea. Don't worry you can go get it, the keys are in her jewellery box upstairs."

"Thanks dad!" Julius called back, already out the door and running upstairs.

Only moments later Thomas started wailing, his entirely convenient nap reaching an inconvenient end. Draco sighed and put down his work, heading up the stairs, a headache beginning to form behind his temples. He took a detour on his journey to the crying baby by stopping in Hugo's room and asking his son if he could find Jeffrey and Ariana and make sure all three of them were dressed formally for dinner.

"I'm on it!" The boy agreed, excitedly fetching his tie collection as Draco continued on to Thomas.

"Hello little cub." Draco greeted his youngest son, lifting him from his bed. He held him for a few minutes, just rocking him until he stopped squawking, then changed him. "Now my little man where is that cute little tuxedo onesie I convinced your mother we had to buy." He murmuered, child in one hand as opened the wardrobe. "Wonzee!" Thomas cheered, clapping his hands uncoordinatedly while his father searched.

"There, very dashing." Draco proclaimed as he set Thomas down, dressed and clean, and held his hand as they walked down the stairs together.

In the kitchen he discovered the table nicely set and all of his children besides Rose dressed formally and lined up at the bench with Hermione's bright yellow aprons on, preparing dinner.

"Things are looking good in here dad." Hugo informed him, holding the check list Hermione had provided them with. "All courses are go, though the whipped cream department needs fired."

Draco grinned broadly, ruffling Hugo's hair. "Good job sport, you really saved my ass. Though your right, what are we gonna do with those ruffians in the whipped cream department?" He asked, turning to give a mock glare at Julius who was whipping at a snail's pace, his book propped up in front of him, Jeffrey who was licking cream from his fingers, and Ariana who had set up her toy dinosaurs in the cream and was having what appeared to be the battle of the century.

"It's alright, I think I've mastered the prawn and bacon croquets and the pork roast smells to die for." Scorpius assured Draco eagerly.

"Fantastic guys, your all the best." Draco congratulated his team, super proud, flashing them a thumbs up as he heard his wife arrive. "Hi bab-oh my god, what happened?" Draco exclaimed upon seeing Hermione, who looked mad as hell, her expression as wild as her hair as she threw her packages and the flowers for the table down on the foyer floor.

The kids were flooding the foyer, all talking at once as Hermione turned to them, her eyes flashing as she struggled with her coat. "Dinner's cancelled. I'm going to bed, please just give me some space." She said firmly, her voice shaking as she controlled her anger in front of her children.

"But we cooked." Ariana wailed, voicing the disappointed looks on all of her children's faces.

Hermione immediately looked contrite. "I'm sorry baby. I'll make it up to you all tomorrow okay? I just need to rest."

"Okay guys, listen to your mother, let's go back to the kitchen." Draco said loudly. "C'mon, hustle." He directed them all back, shooting Hermione a concerned look. She just shrugged and looked suddenly looked very frail and tired. Once the kids were gone Draco went to her, helping her out of her coat. "What's happening?"

"Can you please deal put the kids to bed and take care of things for me? I'm sorry, I just can't even deal with anything right now."

"Of course, I'll take of them, but once you've had a moment you're going to tell me who has upset you and I'm going to make them regret it." Draco informed her as she left him to go upstairs.

It took two hours to feed them all, clean up, and get the ready for bed. It took another half hour to convince them all that their mother was okay, and that they could come and see her in the morning she just needed some privacy and yes she still loves them all.

Once all the lights in the hallway were off, Draco realized he hadn't seen Rose all night, nor had he fed her. "Fuck." He muttered, leaning against Thomas's door, the toddler only just asleep. Was there a way he could check on her without her making some big scene and upsetting Hermione on top of whatever had already happened? Draco rubbed his temples tiredly, the painful throbbing increasing as he contemplated dealing with Rose's bullshit.

"Fuck it. I don't have a choice." He muttered, pushing himself off the door and padding down the hall to her door.

"Rose?" He asked after knocking twice and receiving no answer.

"Go away."

"Rose, don't be rude, have you eaten?"

"Go away pig." She called back, her snotty voice far too pleased with itself.

"Rose don't fucking call me that!" Draco began, opening her door and striding in angrily only to stop dead in his tracks upon discovering his step-daughter entirely naked, stretched out on her bed, three fingers inside herself.

It took a second for either of them to react, both frozen in shock.

"Argh! Fuck!" Draco shouted, unfreezing, and covering his eyes with his arm as she leapt up, drawing a blanket around herself.  
"GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!" She screamed, slamming the door behind him as he ducked out, completely embarrassed.

Various kids spilled into the hallway, lights going on, doors opening as everyone curious to know what was going on.

"Everyone back to bed this instant." Draco ordered sternly, striding through them back to his own bedroom, turning to make sure they'd all disappeared before he entered, shutting his door behind him with relief.

He felt super dirty, the image of Rose, naked, touching herself, burned into his memory and making him feel almost physically sick. He hurried into the bathroom, going straight to the sink and washed his flaming red face, splashing the cold water on his hot skin, scrubbing his eyes in particular, trying to gouge out the picture, his head pounding.

He turned around, drying his face, to find Hermione staring at him from the claw-foot bath, steam from the hot water filling the room around them.

"Granger, Hermione, babe I just walked in on Rose." He clenched the towel, flushing in embarrassment, no idea how to handle a situation like this, and no idea how Hermione would react. "She was naked. And you know, er, uh, touching herself." He cringed as he said it. Sex, one of his favourite things, felt dirty and disgusting the second it was associated with your children.

He lifted his eyes from the ground and was surprised to find Hermione looked relieved. "Oh Malfoy. That, that sucks, don't get me wrong, not a great moment in parenthood, but honestly I don't think it'll be a big deal. Don't lose sleep over it, I'll talk to her tomorrow, you won't have to even think of trying to deal with it." She chuckled. "Besides it's probably her who's scarred for life."

"Her?!" Draco exclaimed, relief flooding him as well. "I think I need counselling."

He went over to her and sat down beside the tub, propping an elbow on the ledge and resting his head on it. "I feel like a fucking predator."

Hermione sighed and splashed him a little. "You unlucky bastard."

His wife lay back, water covering all her body besides her head and the tip of her swollen belly, and closed her eyes.

Draco sat with her in silence for a moment before remembering how she came home, his own encounter having distracted him from his wife's needs.

"So what happened to you babe? Why'd you cancel dinner?" He ventured, trailing his fingers in her bath water.

Hermione groaned and blew a strand of hair off her face. "Well, you know how we have to have this dinner with the Minister every freakin year, and he has to inspect our children, inspect your dark mark, and just generally rub the fact that they allow you to live here and allow you to be married to me in our faces every year?" Hermione asked, eliciting a nod from her husband.

"Well the Minister contacted me and said that Ron had complained to him of Rose's behaviour at school, blaming you, and the Minister wanted to discuss having her and Hugo removed. As if it's any of his business." Hermione spat, visibly enraged as she relayed the story. "Ronald has no idea of what goes on here, he shouldn't be whining at the Ministry. I told the Minister where he could shove his broomstick and told him not to bother coming to dinner."

Draco bit his lip, angry at Ronald Weasely for continuing to sabotage their lives, mad at the Minister and mad at Rose for putting them through all of this. But over this all he could imagine was Hermione telling the Minister for Magic where to shove it and he cracked a smile.

"I bet you shocked the Minister." His voice embodied how impressed he was and Hermione relaxed at her husband's approval.

"He's probably still scraping his jaw off the floor."

"Yeah he is." Draco agreed.

Their problems never seemed as big when they could share them with each other and by the time they were ready for bed Draco's sour mood was almost completely gone, as was his headache.

Hermione was hungry after missing dinner so he sneaked downstairs and made up a snack plate and they lay in bed together, clad in fuzzy pyjama's, eating and sharing the occasional kiss. They went to sleep early, ready to rest away the wear and tear of the day, blissfully unaware of the disturbing scene at the end of their hallway.

While her family slept Rose was awake, hidden under her sheets, flashlight on as she scribbled feverishly in her journal. She was writing the same name, over and over again, one hand beneath her, her whole body shaking as she bit back a climatic scream and slammed her thin body into her bed.

She lay there gasping for several seconds before she got up and hid her journal under her bed.

She pulled her pyjamas on and climbed back into bed. She curled up and switched her flashlight off, her eyes wide open as she stared at the ceiling through the darkness, and a strange smile played around her lips.


	8. Chapter 8

"It's fine. I don't care that he saw me." Rose shrugged, barely even looking at her mother.

Hermione shifted in her seat uncomfortably. She had taken Rose out for a mother daughter date in London, to try and bond with her wayward daughter and talk to her about the previous night's unfortunate incident. But Rose didn't even seem upset. She was very calm, and the quietest Hermione had seen her in months. They were sitting in a café, Hermione pensively sipping coffee as she watched her daughter sit sullenly across from her.

She'd expected a tantrum, insults, and demands to have Draco removed from the house, or demands to go live with Ron, her biological father. But no, Rose had barely even acknowledged that it had happened, besides saying that she didn't care.

Hermione had tried to reassure her daughter that what she was doing was natural, and nothing to be embarrassed about, but Rose had just rolled her eyes and ignored her. Eventually the older woman gave up and simply offered to put a lock on her bedroom door at their house. Rose had readily agreed and the subject was dropped.

Hermione made a mental note to install locks on her teenaged son's doors as well, she didn't need to experience Draco's embarrassment firsthand.

Once they'd finished their drinks Rose asked to go to Sephora so they walked there. Hermione was suitably dressed for the weather, grey leggings, blue woollen tunic, black coat, blue hat and scarf, a hefty handbag under one arm. She ditched heels for a pair of comfortable flat soled black knee length boots, her heavily pregnant body demanding the more practical footwear.

Rose wore ripped blue jeans, a black crop top and a white puffer jacket, her long red hair, waist length, pulled into two braids, that Kylie Jenner like style Hermione hated with a passion. Her beautiful features were caked with makeup, the foundation a shade or two too dark for her porcelain skin.

Hermione hadn't commented on the outfit, pleased at least that her daughter's ass was covered and she was technically wearing a jacket on the bitterly cold day. They fought too often, especially as Rose's cruelty extended from her parents onto her siblings, Hermione couldn't just ignore that. She couldn't have her kids bullied in their own home.

But she felt like Rose was just going through a lot of difficult growing changes and problems, she was just lost in the pain that was being a teen. Or so Hermione hoped.

In Sephora Hermione was immediately lost in the world of beauty. She did love glamorous beauty products. She had nothing against make up, used it plenty herself, but she hoped, to enhance her own natural beauty, not destroy it like some, her daughter included.

She was a classic woman, and her favourite perfume had been the same ever since she'd saved enough from her first job in the wizarding world to buy a bottle. Chanel No.5, her signature scent, the signature scent of thousands, but still, hers.

Draco loved it. Her pillow smelt of it and when she was away from their bed she knew he slept with her pillow instead of his own.

Within half an hour Rose had stacked up a pile of products, most of it the ludicrously expensive or exceptionally trashy. Hermione eyed the pile warily as the checkout girl started scanning.

"We've already brought you some clothes to wear at school, plus your robes, and you need shoes, so why don't we limit the make up to five pieces okay?" She suggested reasonably, pulling out her wallet.

Rose's face immediately scrunched up. "Ugh, you don't even care, you weren't a pretty girl at school so you don't know what it's like, and I need these things."

Hermione closed her eyes and let her breath out through her nose. "Rose, don't make a scene, take five and put the rest back, or have nothing." It kind of stung, a lot, when her daughter said things like this to her. But she didn't really want her to know how much it hurt. She was worried if Rose thought she was getting to her, she'd do it more.

"FINE!" Rose spat, picking out the allotted amount and pushing the rest aside. "That's all I'm allowed." She informed the checkout girl loudly.

"If you were my kid nothing is all you'd be allowed." The girl muttered, making Hermione blush furiously. She tossed some cash onto the counter and stalked out, the winter air outside cooling her heated cheeks.

"We're going home." Hermione informed Rose when she joined her outside, the Sephora bag joining all the shopping bags she was already carrying.

"But I need new shoes." Rose whined, stamping her foot on the frosty ground.

"Wear last year's ones." Hermione said coldly as she waved down a taxi.

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"Fuck, I need to work out more." Draco gasped, collapsing on the frozen ground, breathing great clouds into the frosty air.

Ariana giggled, way ahead of him, turning around and running back, her cheeks ruddy and her eyes sparkling in the cold. "Come on daddy, it's a race, you can't stop!" She scolded him gleefully, plopping down on his abdomen despite his protests.

"You're just too fast Ari." He pouted, lifting an arm from the ground to ruffle his daughter's wild silver hair, the curls almost feral and speckled with snow.

"No you're just to slow." She teased him, standing up and bending over to push at her father's side. "Get up, get up, GET UP!"

"Umph, now your just being mean." Draco groaned as he rolled over and hopped easily to his feet.

Ariana rolled her eyes and let her out breath dramatically. "Race you back!" She sped off with a shriek of laughter, closely followed by slightly miffed Draco.

Once inside to warm up they made hot chocolate, the delicious smell drawing various siblings into the kitchen for a mug too. Thomas and Jeffrey were spending the day with his mother, and Hermione had taken Rose out, all the rest of his brood, were present at the kitchen table, happily drinking liquid chocolate, except Hugo. Draco frowned. It wasn't like him to wonder off, or to miss hot chocolate.

Outside the snow, which had been wafting down lightly all day, began falling in earnest as Draco looked around the house for his son.

"Hugo?" Draco called up the stairs, listening for a reply, but hearing nothing.

As he drew closer to the back of the manor, he became aware of some unpleasant sounds. It was shouting, sounded like boys shouting.

Genuinely concerned now, Draco grabbed his coat, shoving it on as he charged into the backyard.

Hugo was pressed against an icy tree, terror written all over his face, two much taller and stronger looking boys in front of him, their wands raised to his face, both screaming expletives at the younger boy.

"Oi what the hell is going on out here?" Draco shouted, storming over to the group. "Get the fuck away from my son."

The two goons turned around and Draco was horrified to realize they looked familiar. They were definitely the spawn of his old school cronies.

"Shit, its Mr Malfoy, lets get the fuck outta here." The uglier one said and they quickly ran, allowing Hugo to collapse against the tree.

Draco watched them go, they climbed his fence and disappeared, before he turned to Hugo.

"Fuck, your face." Draco dropped to his knees besides the boy who was sitting, his brow bleeding, his lip quivering. Draco made him look up and inspected the wound, relieved to see it was only superficial, but enraged that he was hurt at all.

"What else did they do to you?"

Hugo shook his head and swallowed.

"Nothing. They just called me some shitty stuff and hit me a couple of times. Its fine, it's nothing worse than at school."

Draco's nostrils flared in anger as he pulled Hugo to his feet and walked him inside. Sure, he and Hermione knew he got hassled about his weight when he was younger, he'd been a chubby kid, but he'd shot up last summer and thanks to his newly average height he was only a little heavier than most of his schoolmates. Fuck there were fatter kids, for sure. Draco had thought it would have all died down. But now he knew, his son was being bullied. And he was mad.

He was ashamed of his past, and as a former bully, he knew how cruel and out of hand it could get. "I knew your sister was giving you a hard time, but I didn't realize those jerks were bullying you. You have to tell McGonagall when it happens at school okay? And me or your mum as well coz I won't stand for it. No son of mine is gonna be a punching bag for some asshole okay?"

Hugo nodded and suddenly hugged Draco tightly. "I really hate them."

Draco's eyes prickled a little as he hugged him even tighter back. "I do to."

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"We've already been through this!" Hermione wailed, later that evening as she and Draco caught each other up on their days in their bedroom. "Do you remember those hideous beatings Scorpius used to get?!"

"I know! That's why I wanna go around there and smash those jerks!" Draco retaliated, pacing across the floor.

"Oh great, just like last time, you almost ended up in Azkaban for threatening those kids."

"They broke four of his ribs Hermione! They beat the shit out of my baby, just because they saw him kissing another boy! He was home for months! He still has nightmares! He has scars! They were barely even punished! Suspended for a couple of days. Forgive me if I'm not going to stand by and let the same thing happen to Hugo!" Draco retorted angrily.

"I don't want him to get hurt either! But we need to handle the situation better this time, make decisions together." Hermione amended, knowing that deep down she wanted to punch those bully's herself, and she didn't want to shame Draco out for his actions, he'd already suffered enough.

"Whatever. We just need to protect our kids better." Draco decreed, lying down on the bed with heavy sigh.

"I promise you we'll deal with it." Hermione said tentatively, a little stung that he hadn't called Scorpius their baby, only his, but tried not to read into it.

"I know." Draco said tiredly and began pushing his clothes off.

The air between them felt unresolved and a lot uglier than usual but they both readied themselves for bed without speaking again.

Hermione had already been to see Hugo, cleaning his wound, applying a band aid and holding him while he pretended not to cry.

It had brought back horrible memories of holding Scorpius while he cried when his friends wouldn't accept him and people were hurting him. She had held him while he cried over his struggle to come to terms with who he was and while he writhed in pain.

It had brought back even older memories, older, but equally as horrible. Holding Draco while he cried, while he atoned for his sins, while he became who he is today. She comforted them both through the nightmares, and helped them stand when they couldn't alone.

And now she would do the same for Hugo. She would get him through this, she would.

She felt emotional as she climbed into bed, seeking comfort in her husband's arms, only to be rebuffed by his back to her. He had no idea how much it hurt her to fall asleep staring at the back of his silver head, his mind overrun with the issues their children faced.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN/ I have decided to stick with Teddy, I'm sorry, I just really ship it. They aren't even a huge part of the plot so I hope it doesn't turn too many readers away, I really value all of you guys.**

It was five am.

The silence in Malfoy Manor was deafening.

The fires had died hours earlier, cold seeped in through the windows.

The children were each cuddled deep in their beds, blankets piled high.

Little Thomas's foot twitched occasionally, drooling while the little baby had a peaceful, dreamless sleep. Jeffree was almost hidden under a pile of soft toys, his favourite unicorn tucked specially under his arm, his fluffy onesie matching its delicate violet coat.

Ariana was in her usual nest of pillows, entirely covered by her duvet, her face on the book she'd fallen asleep reading. Julius was sleeping in his meticulously made bed, everything straight and in order even as he slumbered. Hugo was curled in a ball, clutching his cell phone, faint tear stains on his cheeks and the band aid still above his eyebrow, eyes squeezed shut as he dreamt unhappily.

Rose was asleep on her side, her journal beneath her pillow, her face make up free and the most peaceful it had looked since Christmas. Scorpius had his arms wrapped around Teddy, his bare chest pressed against the other boys sweatshirt clad back, snoring softly.

In the master bedroom Draco was on his stomach, his arms tucked under his pillow, cradling his head, facing out of the bed, shivering lightly in the morning cold, his duvet nestled in the small of his flannel-clad back.

Beside him lay the only soul awake in the vast building.

Hermione lying on her side, staring at the floor. A small, patch of pale light was weakly shining through the join in the heavy drapes. The murky, not-quite-dawn light did nothing but depress the witch. She felt very far away from her husband in this moment, despite being only inches away from his sleeping form.

"You are not alone." Hermione whispered, her voice as faint as the light held her attention as she rolled over, carefully adjusting to her pregnant belly as she did so. Now facing Draco, she noticed he was cold and drew the duvet and heavy blanket higher, covering his shoulders gently. Longing for his touch, longing to feel his body against her own, to feel the reassurance that the distance in her mind was literally that, just in her mind.

She shimmied closer to him, snuggling into the warmth of his side, the blankets above her head and she tucked herself against him.

It was after all only days ago that they were having some of the hottest sex ever at Hogwarts. They'd been so close, so intimate, and so in sync. Surely that wasn't gone. She was just feeling a bit emotional, after all, there was a lot going on right now, and she was pregnant. She probably had nothing to worry about?

Almost as if he had somehow heard her inner fretting, Draco, still mostly asleep, vaguely aware of his wife's form against his own, shuffled around until he had an arm over her chest and his face tilted down toward her neck.

The comforting weight of his arm around her immediately made Hermione feel better, her relief so poignant that as his fingers twined in her curly hair, her eyes pricked, a few hot tears escaping and running down her cheeks to drip into her hair.

"Whasamatter?" Draco mumbled, a she sniffled, stirring reluctantly from his slumber.

"Nothing, go back to sleep." Hermione whispered, sounding much more tearful than she intended.

Draco's eye's immediately opened. He blinked a few times, properly waking up, adjusting and taking in the scene before him.

"You're crying." He was visibly concerned, drawing his arm up to wipe the remaining tear from his wife's cheek.

"I was just feeling a little melancholy, it's gone now." Hermione said quickly, brushing his hand away, her voice a tad too defensive for Draco to just drop it. Her husband drew his arm back, stung at her dismissal.

"What did I do?" He asked, annoyed.

"Nothing." Hermione sighed exasperatedly, wishing he'd shut up and get back to holding her.

"Well you clearly have a problem so I must have done something." Draco pressed.

Hermione moved upward, bring her face close to his. "Just make me feel better stupid." She replied, pressing her lips to his.

Irritated, but unable to turn down her mouth against his, Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione and kissed her back. Their sweet kisses soon deepened, becoming hotter and wetter as Draco's cock hardened in his pyjama trousers. He moaned her name as they clung to each other, fondling her large breasts, his touch gentle, well experienced with the sensitivity of pregnancy-swollen nipples, his mouth hungry as he included her jaw and throat in his kissing efforts.

"Draco, I was thinking just a cuddle." Hermione breathed, her chest heaving as it grew hot and heavy between them. "But it's just getting good." Draco whined, pressing his hardness against her thigh.

Hermione pulled away a little, her tone gentle. "Aw I'm sorry babe, I'm just feeling a little fragile..."

She trailed off as Draco propped himself up on an arm, panting lightly. "Are you being bloody serious?" He demanded, annoyed for real now.

Hermione frowned. "Don't be a dick Malfoy."

"Me? You're the one who woke me up, had a tantrum and now your being a fucking cock-tease." Draco accused, rolling away from her.

Hermione's lip wobbled as her eyes welled up, his words crushing her as she heard the grains of truth in the statement.

"Draco I'm sorry." She fumbled, wiping her tears and pulling him back to her, cupping his still hard man hood and squeezing him gently.

"No, fuck off, I'm not in the mood for mind games." Draco sulked shoving her hand off him roughly.

"Don't be mean." Hermione whimpered, ashamed at how needy she was being, but unable to stop, so insecure that her crazy behaviour was pushing away the love of her life.

Her usually level head was a whirlwind, her heart a shit-storm of emotions, her usual logical and confident self lost in this moment of insecurity and anxiety. "Come on, I want you." She pleaded, her voice even more tearful than before as she tugged at his waistband.

"God, don't cry about it." Draco complained, consenting to her pleas by not roughly, but impatiently and carelessly, pushing her on to her back and pulling down her pyjama shorts.

Hermione turned away, her eyes finding that patch of light on the floor as Draco pulled her knees up, pulling her down, her wild hair splaying everywhere. She focused on it, supressing a tearful moan as he pressed his wide girth into her, his cock pushing in dry, hurting since he was so big and she wasn't wet or turned on enough to receive him properly.

She let out little cries as he thrust into her, each thrust slow and painful as he worked his considerable length into her. "Come on Mione, your just lying there." Draco complained, trying to catch her eye, turning his own head to kiss her, trying to pull her face around to face him but she wouldn't.

"Babe."

Now it was him pleading, his hands holding his weight above her, his mouth trying to entice her into participating. He kissed all the sensitive spots that usually made her shiver and moan in pleasure but today only made her shift uncomfortably and sigh resentfully.

Frustrated and confused Draco stopped thrusting, his throbbing cock still inside her. "Granger are we doing this or not?"

Hermione was still looking at the patch of light from the drapes, drowning internally in the horribleness of the moment.

"Fuck this. I have no fucking clue what you want from me right now Hermione." He told her, pulling out of her and lying on the bed beside her.

His cock was still standing upright and leaking precum so he grasped it, using his hand to stimulate himself as his wife lay beside him, still ignoring him.

He gripped his manhood, pushing the foreskin up and down and tugging the mighty thing until with a groan and a thrust into his hand, he came, spurting cum across their duvet. He panted loudly as he worked his cock, pushing out several ropes of semen before it went limp and he let it fall back on his flat stomach with a heavy thud.

They lay in the awkward silence for a minute before quite suddenly Hermione got out of bed, leaving for the bathroom hurriedly. Draco got up, pulling his pyjama pants on, and stripped all the linin off the bed. Then he went to the bathroom. He tried the handle but it was locked. Inside he could hear the shower running and Hermione crying.

"Come on Mione, I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I hurt you, I should have stopped earlier, I'm sorry I was a cunt." He apologized through the door, the error of his recent ways dawning on him, making him sick with regret.

On the other side of the door Hermione sat at the bottom of the shower, surrounded by steam, hot water splashing down on her, sobbing her heart out.

"Go away."


	10. Chapter 10

**AN/ Ummm guys, Hermione is going through a lot right now, she's behaving uncharacteristically because she's experiencing a bit of a breakdown? And she herself acknowledged that last chapter? She's not quite coping, would you be?**

Joy seemed like a far off concept to Draco by the time their last day at Malfoy Manor rolled around. To him, it felt like a Dementor had floated through the manor, withering everything good and leaving only the cold and the ugly.

He hadn't slept in his bed in four days.

All of his attempts to reconcile with his wife had been futile. She wasn't approachable, spending all of her time surrounded by their children, never alone. She threw herself into showering them with affection, making sure she spent every waking minute with them and taking at least one with her to bed each night, her children a barricade from their father.

It wasn't that she hated him, it wasn't even that she was mad. It was that she had no idea how to fix whatever it was they had broken that cold night. So she ignored him. If any of the family noticed, they didn't mention it.

Hermione had no intention keeping this up forever. The worst part was how much she missed him. It was almost toxic how much she needed him, she just wanted to pretend that evening had never happened and go back to being how they were, perfectly in sync, lovers, best friends, happy. But she couldn't. She respected herself too much, she'd take the hard road and deal with what had transpired between them, not the easy road of forgiving him immediately just so she could hold him in her arms and talk to him about everything again.

She had to be strong.

But she wasn't. She was avoiding, which was just as bad as giving in.

They were leaving for their home tomorrow, dropping the kids at Hogwarts on the way. They'd be alone together, with the three little ones, but they'd have pre-school and primary school to go to during the day.

Fuck. She had to figure this out.

Draco's longing for her was equal, if not more, than her own for him. He missed her terribly, he felt hollow without her to talk to, to hold, to confide in.

The only person who had noticed their distance was Rose, who was actually rather enjoying it. She had accidentally discovered Draco sleeping on the couch in his study when she had sneaked in one night, with the intention of snooping. Instead she has perched on the armrest and stared at him for hours. She had his face memorised. Every inch. His narrow features were on a constant loop in her head, especially at night.

Draco Malfoy.

The name was scrawled over and over in her journal, and it was whispered over and over again when she touched herself at night.

Her passion for him was unbearably strong. Sometimes it felt like hate, sometimes like love. Always like obsession.

And now that her selfish mother was pushing him away, Rose felt confident that her stepfather's desire for her would surface. She knew it was there, she knew he felt the same. Any doubts she might have had about his hidden affections were obliterated when he'd walked in on her. She had never felt more alive than the moment she realized he had seen her naked. And he wouldn't have come in if he hadn't been desperate to see her would he? No. He had wanted it as much as her, she was sure.

She would lie in the bath, legs slung over each side, detachable nozzle in hand and aimed directly at her young womanhood. She would imagine him above her, trying to picture his cock, trying to imagine feeling it inside her. She'd had sex before. She had tried out a few blossoming wizards, her fellow students. But they were mere boys, fumbling and unimpressive. Draco, Draco was a man, and he'd know how to please a woman like her.

If only he wasn't so bloody infatuated with her hideous mother. What a beastly woman. Rose had never understood how people adored her so much. She was bossy know-it-all who had absolutely no idea about being cool or pretty. And she seemed to like all her other children better, so why should Rose even bother trying to care?

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"Be good okay?" Hermione sniffed, hugging Scorpius tight, all too aware this was his last year at Hogwarts. "N.E.W.T.S are more important than being a rebel okay?"

"Yes Mum." Scorpius groaned, sounding embarrassed but hugging her for as long as he could.

"And remember to eat food, you always get too skinny during the semester." She fretted, her brow knitting together in premature concern.

"I'll eat, I promise." Her step-son promised, giving his mother an affectionate squeeze before letting her go.

"Make sure he eats Teddy." Hermione ordered, hugging his boyfriend with equal gusto and worry.

"I will." Teddy promised solemnly, winking at Scorpius as Hermione turned her attention to her other departing children.

"Remember to go outside occasionally and have fun baby." She instructed Julius with a warm hug, receiving an absent nod from her son whose nose was buried in a book. "Love you, bye." He murmured, turning a page, eyes glued to the words in front of him.

"Rose, look after yourself love." Hermione tried, holding out her arms to her daughter, who ignored the gesture, walking away with a hair toss and not a single word.

Saving this fresh insult to hurt over later Hermione turned her attention to Hugo, who still had a faint bruise on his eye, the cut almost completely healed. Her boy was pale and looked miserable, no sparkle in his usually cheerful eyes at all.

"Write to me if you need anything at all okay?" Hermione pulled him into a hug, holding him the tightest of all. "I'm serious baby, if anything happens to you I'll be marching up here and throwing punches left and right."

Hugo nodded, his mother's fierce words bringing him little comfort, his heart yearning to just go home with his family, Hogwarts looming above him like a death sentence.

He hugged his mother tightly, his voice thick with emotion as he told her he loved her and then turned into the embrace of his step-father. "Love you dad." He muttered, looking down, his voice gruff as he tried to be all manly and tough.

"Right back at you kid." Draco replied, hugging him and then pushing his shoulder lightly. "Go get 'em tiger."

"BYE DAD!" Rose called back as the group walked away, her sarcastic tone grating on his nerves as he and Hermione stood together, Ariana and Jeffrey between them, Thomas in his arms.

All the little children were upset at their siblings leaving so their parents got to distract themselves comforting them. It wasn't until later that night, children in bed, bags put away, holiday over, that they came face to face in the bedroom in their home in the Muggle neighbourhood.

Their four poster bed stood between them, neatly made, white silk sheets stark against the mint coloured comforter. The glass bottles of perfume on Hermione's dresser caught the light above them, casting sparkling patterns on the walls as they stared each other.

Hermione was sitting on the window seat on her side of the room, the night behind her dark and cloudy, snow threatening to fall at any second. She was clad in a blue lace nightgown that pulled tight across her bulging belly, and a soft green velvet robe, her hair loose around her shoulders. Her face was devoid of any make up, only moisturiser on her almost flawless skin, looking exceptionally beautiful with her freckles and the light crinkles around her dark eyes.

Draco was less chic. He was wearing his favourite hoodie, one he'd stolen from Hugo actually, it was grey with a Hollyhead Harpies logo emblazoned on the chest and had a hole in the sleeve. This was paired with his black cotton pyjama pants and a glass of scotch in his hand.

He was leaning against the wall across from Hermione, looking at her from beneath lowered lashes.

The silence stretched between them for what felt like hours but was probably only five minutes, before Draco cleared his throat and set his glass down on the shelf beside him.

"I miss you." He began, his tone as anxious as he felt.

Hermione looked at him levelly, her expression neutral.

"Hermione. I really miss you. I messed up and I've been suffering the consequences of my actions." His voice was pained, his eyes already welling with tears. "I'm sorry."

Hermione blinked, pushing back her own tears.

"We were both stupid."

She shrugged hard, a tear escaping down her cheek, her voice choked up.

"You really hurt me, in here." She admitted, holding a hand over her heart.

Draco let out a sob, sliding down the wall to a sitting position and burying his head in his arms atop his knees. Her words broke him, his guilt, regret and self-loathing resurfacing, engulfing him.

"What can I do?" He asked once he found his voice.

Hermione shrugged, wiping her eyes, trying not to acknowledge her heart that was longing to go and wrap her arms around his forlorn form.

"I still love you, you're the person I feel closest too, but I can barely even look at you when I think about how I felt that night." She spoke like it was a confession because she had been living with the silent repulsion for days on end.

Draco pressed his fists into his eyes until he saw black spots, her words ringing through his head, bringing fresh pain. "Forgive me please." He begged, unable to take back his actions and unwilling to accept that losing his love was going to be the consequence. "I need you. I love you. Forgive me for what I've done."

Hermione couldn't stand it anymore, it hurt her too much to inflict this pain on him. Hadn't he suffered at least as much as she had that night in the space of the last few minutes? She wouldn't be able to look at herself either if she hurt him more than he had hurt her. She couldn't let it go that far.

She stood and crossed the room, going with tears streaming openly. She stood in front of him and held out her hand to the love of her life.

"I promise I will forgive you. Not today, and maybe not tomorrow. But I promise, I will."

The relief he felt was almost angelic. Draco accepted her hand and pulled himself to his feet. They stood for a few breaths, awkward like when they were teenagers, before Draco bit the bullet and wrapped his arms around his wife.

At first she stiffened in retaliation, before softening as she felt the familiar security of his touch and strength of his embrace.

They just stood hugging, breathing each other in for the longest time before eventually pulling apart.

They retired to bed, sleeping in the same place for the first time in a week, a gap between them but their hands intertwined tightly as sleep took them, the air heavy with emotion as they drifted to sleep.

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Weeks later, under the cover of darkness Rose shuffled the pages of the book she'd stolen form the restricted section, her eyes scanning the faded text impatiently. Ah! There it was. Gleefully Rose ripped out the page, tucking it into her robe pocket carefully before slamming the book shut.

Much like her mother decades before her, Rose was about to brew a Polyjuice potion for devious purposes. She was in even in the very same bathroom, haunted by the very same and still annoying ghost, Moaning Myrtle. It would have all been a little déjà vu except there was no one to witness it.

And admittedly, her intentions were a lot worse than Hermione's had been.


	11. Chapter 11

Hermione arrived home to a quiet house. She put down the shopping she'd done on the kitchen table and kicked her boots off in the hall way closet. She'd been out for a rare date with the Potters. She and Ginny had shopped and then gone out for hot chocolate with Harry. She left the young children with her husband, Draco preferring to see the Potters only when it was absolutely necessary. Like at Christmas and at birthday parties. Anything else was a bit much for the former foes.

Hermione followed the faint sounds of happy murmurs into the living room where she found three very happy children and a very pretty Draco Malfoy.

"My, my, what's going on here?" She asked, her eyebrow cocked questioningly.

"I'm morphing into the Queen I've always deserved to be." Draco replied from his cross legged position on the floor, cosmetics scattered around him, his youngest daughter kneeling in front of him, carefully applying some truly atrocious eyeliner.

Thomas and Jeffrey were playing with the cosmetics and other toys quite happily behind them. Hermione was pleased to see they were all sitting on newspaper, proud her husband had had the good sense to lay it down over their carpet.

Draco himself had a face caked with Hermione's old foundation, a shade or two too dark for him, a lot of blusher, bright blue nails, that bulbous eyeliner, and a glorious red pout that any woman would be jealous of.

"We're making dad pretty!" Jeffrey chimed in, his own nails vivid blue and flashing in the light as he ran over to greet his mother.

Ariana looked super focused as she finished her masterpiece. "All finished."

"I'm ready for my close up." Draco said, amused, as he climbed to his feet and stretched, his long arms extending almost to the ceiling, his narrow abdomen exposed as his shirt lifted.

"Yes you are." Hermione agreed, dodging him as he leaned in for a kiss, telling herself it was just because of the makeup and pretending she didn't see his the flicker of hurt cross his face.

"Okay kids, clean up this mess and then you can watch a film okay?" She instructed her kids and exited, picking up her bags and heading upstairs.

Draco followed her upstairs, washing his face in the bathroom while she folded her new clothes into her wardrobe.

He emerged, fresh and damp, his hair gorgeously dishevelled, face make up free except for some eye liner residue that really only added to his sex appeal. Hermione could acknowledge his sex appeal, she loved him, wanted him, but still, she just couldn't. Yes they'd made up, weeks ago, but things weren't quite back to normal yet.

Draco had noticed her coldness and he was making effort not to let it get to him. It's what you deserve, he'd remind himself, trying to put himself in Hermione's shoes.

But it hurt. And it sucked. And she was so beautiful. He could barely take his eyes off of her. Her adorable freckles, her deep dark eyes, her wild curls, so soft to touch, her long, lean limbs, her supple skin, the curve of her breasts, the way she said Malfoy when she was mad.

It was too much.

Living so close but being so far away from someone you loved this much was torture.

"I've been talking with Harry and, I think Rose should spend the next holidays with her fath-Ron, with Ron." Hermione said suddenly, disturbing the brooding silence between them.

She was sitting at her bureau, staring at herself in the mirror, fiddling with her hair brush anxiously.

Draco flopped down on their bed, folding his arms under his head and staring at the ceiling, the subject already weighing him down.

"It should be your decision, not Potters." He replied, trying to keep the disdain from his voice. He was in an argumentative mood, but nothing would make him happier than getting rid of that wretched girl.

"It's our decision." Hermione countered, running the brush through her hair.

"Okay, well I think that's a good idea. Might give her a reality check." He offered, rolling over on his side to gaze at Hermione's form. She was sitting straight, her narrow shoulders and back in contrast to her swollen middle, the soft grey knit dress she was wearing clinging to her figure in all the right places.

"I hope so." Hermione's voice seemed so far away, so small. In her reflection Draco could see the tears gathering in her eyes. "I failed. I can't even raise my children."

"You have not failed. You're always sacrificing for our kids and letting her go is for the best. She'll be back, believe me, we aren't lucky enough for her to stay there." He assured her, getting up and standing behind her to squeeze her shoulder. Hermione smile despite herself and put her hand over his.

"You're so bad." Hermione scolded, turning around to face him.

"You love it." Draco retorted, cupping her face in his hands.

"I do." Hermione bit her lip, revelling in the sensation of his hands on her, her initial impulse to shy away pushed aside for the moment as her body remembered how much she had missed those hands.

"And I love you." Draco whispered as he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.

"No, no, I don't want to." Hermione protested, pulling away, her brow knitted in a heavy frown, the perfect moment destroyed as she retreated back behind the walls she'd put up.

Draco straightened, his expression strained as he stepped a few paces away from her. His mouth was a thin line as his silver eyes bored into hers. "Why?" He asked, the level of hurt in his voice making Hermione feel physically ill.

"I'm sorry, I love you. I do."

Draco let out his breath, clenching and unclenching his fists before shaking out his hands exasperatedly, his blue nails making the motion almost comically dramatic.

"I hope you do." He answered, turning and leaving the room.

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Turns out Polyjuice potion is really difficult to brew. Rose discovered this the hard way. There were so many components, most of which she had to steal, and it was time consuming. She was now on her third batch and it only had a week to go till it would be ready. She just needed the final ingredient.

And she had a plan to get it.

Since she was 17 year of age, she was indeed allowed to practice magic wherever she pleased, so her means of retrieving her the ingredient were simple.

In the middle of the night she crept out of her dorm room, sneaking past the sleeping paintings and our through one of the many secret passages to Hogsmeade. Now safely out of Hogwarts perimeters she closed her eyes, pulled out her wand and apparated.

The sensation still made her feel a little sick so she took some calming breaths as she stood in the living room in her father's house. The house was silent, as she had known it would be, her dad and his girlfriend were away in Italy at the moment.

"Lumos." She whispered, the tip of her wand lighting up in response. She hurried up the stairs and into Ron's bedroom. She made her way straight to his chest of drawers. Atop it was a heavy wooden box. Rose had discovered its contents on one of her many snooping sessions last time she'd visited.

Inside the box were old letters, a chess piece, a few odds and ends, and, a thick lock of Hermione Grangers hair.

Her mother's hair was tied at the cut end with a red velvet bow and looked a little worn. Why her dad even had this she had no idea but she had use for it now so it didn't matter to her. She tucked the lock into her pocket and replaced the box.

She'd successfully retrieved the last ingredient she needed, so she apparated back to Hogsmeade and made her way back to Hogwarts feeling all too proud of herself. All she had to do now was bide her time and wait for an opportunity to put her ultimate plan into action.

As she lay in bed that night, sleeping Gryffindor's all around her, she let out a harsh laugh and closed her eyes, her mind focused on one face, and one face only.

"Draco Malfoy, I'm coming for you."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N There is a lot going on in today's chapter, hope it's not too choppy guys.**

It was a late Saturday afternoon when Hermione reached the eight month mile stone. And boy was she feeling it. She felt tired, and old, and had zero energy for running around after her babies. She couldn't sleep in any position without discomfort and when she slept on her back she snored because of the extra weight weighing her down.

The only good thing was that it was winter, so at least she could snuggle up and not get overheated.

The last two months of her pregnancy with Hugo had been the height of one of the hottest summers of her life. He was a big baby and her small frame had suffered. The heat had been inescapable, and she couldn't just lounge in the pool all day or much lounging at all, because she had little Rose to attend to. And Ron hadn't care of course. He was never there. He'd never admitted to it but she was certain he'd been cheating before she asked him for a divorce.

The papers were finalised two weeks after Hugo's first birthday. She and Draco Married three years later, after two years together, and with Julius in the oven.

All of their marriage had been intense. Passionate, beautiful, wild, unexpected. No matter how many kids they had, no how much time they put into them, they still found time to love each other, to have adventures together.

Right now, her heart and her body weighed down so heavily, Hermione wanted nothing more than to go back to that. She wasn't about to give up that bond, that deep connection they had.

It was that late Saturday afternoon, while she was busy writing letters to her kids at Hogwarts that she realized. She'd forgiven her husband. She had forgiven him for the role he'd played that night.

She wasn't mad at Draco anymore.

And yet she felt like her thirteen year old self, awkward and insecure, unsure of how to approach him, how to rekindle their intimacy.

Not just sex, but how close they usually were. Always talking while they went about daily tasks, touching, hugging all the time, teasing each other, helping, being a team. She craved that closeness again, it'd been too long.

"Mum! Mum!"

Hermione immediately focused, Ariana's yelling bringing her back to the present.

"Ari? What's the matter sweetie?" She called, getting up, with effort, and leaving her desk to find her daughter.

"I hurt my arm climbing the oak tree." Ariana wailed, coming into view from the backdoor, covered in snow and holding her arm like a wounded animal. Hermione went to her, quickly assessing the arm in question and being relieved to see that despite the large quantity of blood it was barely more than a heavy scrape.

"Come on champ, let's fix you up." She ushered Ariana into the kitchen, sitting her down and fetching her medical kit from a cabinet. She had no problem with her daughter climbing trees. Even in the snow. Sure, she worried that a more serious injury could occur, but she also enjoyed how happy it made her. She had always thought letting her children have some freedom would help them turn out well, but Rose was a prime example of how shit that idea was so now she was a little torn, wondering if a few of her parenting policies weren't working so well.

Deftly she cleaned up the blood and applied antibacterial ointment, finishing off the wound with big band aid. "There you go monkey, be more careful okay? And it's cold outside, time to come in anyway."

Ariana made a face and then hugged her mother tightly. "Can I watch tv?"

Hermione sighed and ruffled some snow out of her silvery hair. "No, but you can go upstairs and play with all your toys."

"Okay! I'm going to fly around the world on my magic carpet!" She yelled excitedly, jumping up, filled with passion for her new adventure, her injury completely gone from her mind.

"Have fun!" Hermione called after her finished putting away the medical supplies. Then she went and checked on Jeffrey and Thomas, the latter of which was in his play pen, happily building towers out of blocks, and the former of which appeared to be racing Barbie and Batman cars around for an imaginary crowd.

Satisfied that her children were safe and happy she went and finished her letters and then made dinner. Draco had gone out with his best friend, Blaise, they didn't see each other often because the latter man travelled a lot. She didn't mind at first but no she suddenly missed him, the dull ache in her chest incessantly reminding her that he wasn't there.

Hermione fed the children, bathed them and put them to bed. Draco still wasn't home and she was feeling like a pick-me-up so she popped herself some popcorn, poured herself a large class of soda and curled up in his armchair in the living room to watch Ru Pauls Drag Race.

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Scorpius bit his lip hard, trying to suppress the moan attempting to escape his mouth. His eyes were fixed on Teddy's shock of blue hair as his head bobbed on front of him. Scorpius was pressed against the wall behind a statue of centaur on a seldom used staircase at Hogwarts. His boyfriend was on his knee's sucking him like he had diamonds in his balls just waiting to be drawn out. Most of the students were in Hogsmeade, their chances at being caught rather unlikely but still possible.

Teddy was paying attention to his whole penis, making Scorpius giddy with pleasure, the boy barely able to stand, using the wall for support as he swirled his tongue around the tip while pumping him with his fist. Teddy sucked him until with a shudder Scorpius came, the former boy sucking and swallowing, drawing out the orgasm until he was well and truly spent.

"God that was good." Scorpius gasped as Teddy stood, wiping his mouth and shaking out his legs. "Now let me deal to this." He breathed, grasping his boyfriend stiff hardon and massaging it through his pants.

They kissed briefly before Scopius turned around to face the wall, pulling his already undone pants down, his semi erect cock bobbing about as he bent over a little, Teddy's hands at his waist.

"C'mere gorgeous." Teddy muttered, exposing his pulsing cock ad pressing it to Scorpius's entrance. He pushed in, both boys gasping at the intensity of the feeling, and began thrusting hard, grunting with exertion as he forced his large cock in the tight space. A few minutes later, with a muffled cry into his boyfriends back Teddy was coming, shooting his load deep inside, clenching as rolls of pleasure wracked his body.

He was still inside Scorpius when they heard clattering on the stairs above them. Panicked, he pulled out, his now limp cock sliding out and slapping his thigh with a thud as hauled his trousers up and straightened his robe, Scorpius doing the same. Quickly they both sat, the latter boy wincing slightly and pulled out their school books, pretending to be deep in study as some kids rumbled past.

Once they were gone Scorpius grinned at Teddy, a twinkle in his eye. "Fuck we're good."

Teddy leaned in and gave him a firm kiss. "Hell yeah we are."

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She wasn't stupid, she remembered her parents and Mr Potter complaining about how much Polyjuice potion hurt, and how their feet had gotten too big for their shoes and such, she knew, she remembered and she was prepared.

Rose Weasely stood in her dorm room, alone, naked, staring at her pale reflection in the full length mirror beside her bed. There was a Hogsmeade trip today, the dorm was empty, her fellow Gryffindor's out enjoying the sunshine with everyone else.

She shivered despite the warmth in the room, her waist length flaming hair swishing as she turned, inspecting her body. She was memorising herself, so she could compare, her entire body was flat, pale and lean, she wanted to remember how good she looked when she turned into her unattractive mother. A silver bar glittered between the lips of her vagina, her new piercing peeking out and catching the light in the room, causing the girl to stop and admire the only thing she was technically wearing.

She was holding a vial of the potion, several others hidden beneath her bed, her potion brew successful from what she could tell. She had a few strands of the hair she'd stolen from her father's house and she added them to the potion and watched it turn a soft cream colour. She sniffed it and was surprised that it smelt like a pleasant mixture of spearmint and books.

Taking a deep breath she closed and sipped from the vial, the pleasant taste coating her mouth and throat as she swallowed its contents. At first she just stood before she keeled over, dropping the vial, the sound of it shattering mingling with her muffled scream as she clapped a hand over her mouth and cried out in pain. She writhed on the ground, the little shards of glass gouging her skin as it stretched and morphed, taking on an entirely new form.

He flat long limbs shortened by an inch, her big hands and feet shrinking to a petite size, her flat chest and stomach expanding, her hips widening, her eyes widening and turning the colour of chocolate, her skin darkening several shades and freckling, her hair shortening to bra strap length, turning darker and curling, changing painfully until the woman staring at her in the mirror from the floor was no longer Rose Weasely but indeed, a terrified looking Hermione Granger.

"Oh my god." She muttered, jumping violently ass her mother's voice echoed around the room instead of her own. With a groan she hauled herself up, horrified at how difficult it was with the swollen pregnant stomach she had.

"This will not do." She exclaimed inspecting her new found body, regarding it with disgust. "I cannot be sexy like this." She wiped some hot tears from her eyes as she felt her plan collapsing.

Heavy and miserable, she collapsed into her bed, thankful she'd only taken enough to last a hour or so and pulled the covers over her head.

Its okay, she told herself as she drifted to sleep, at least the potion works. I'll just have to wait until she's given birth. Once that baby is born, then, then finally, Draco will be mine.

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At the same time that most of Hogwarts were in Hogsmeade, Scorpius Malfoy was receiving fellatio behind a statue on the stairs and Rose Weasely was sleeping off her potion still cloaked as her mother, Hugo Weasely alone in one of the boys bathrooms. Their only other sibling at the school, Julius, was actually on the school trip and currently enjoying a giant lollipop as he read a Jane Austen novel at Madame Rosmerta's.

In contrast to the happiness and contentment the younger boy felt, Hugo's own sadness and suffering seemed only more unjust.

His robes were torn, most of his face swollen, his nose bleeding, though he was trying to stop it. He sat, hot tears occasionally dripping down his face as he pinched the bridge of his nose, head leaned against the wall, holding some toilet paper against his nose and wishing people would just leave him the fuck alone.

His main tormentors, Nott, Crabbe and Pike had beaten him today after they shoved him and pretended he had gotten in their way. He refused to apologize so they'd beaten the shit out of him, and in front of the girl he liked, Katerina Vane. She was the daughter of the girl who had poisoned his father with a love potion, one that was actually intended for Harry Potter, the infamous Romilda Vane. Hugo had been crushing on her for years but couldn't work up the courage to speak to her, she was super popular and always surrounded by people.

And she was beautiful. So devastatingly gorgeous. She'd never want a fat fuck like him.

His dark brown hair, short at the sides and longer on top was caked with blood as he sat, beating his fist against the cold floor, angry at the world and hurting deep inside as the nasty things the boys had called him pained him more than the physical beating had.

"Fattie!"

"Pig!"

"Oink oink you fat fucker!"

The words were stamped in his brain, he felt like he couldn't escape them.

He hated it here, he hated it everywhere, and he hated his freakin life. He just wanted everyone to leave him alone.

Problem was, everyone did leave him alone, everyone except his tormentors.

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 **A/N. Here's the thing. My idea of where this story is going changes all the time but if there is a redemption arc, it won't be for Rose. Yeah she's going to develop but she'll never be someone that I personally will like. I do plan on writing this story to an ending, so if you guys want Rose to change drastically, stop reading now, from here on in, it's getting ugly. Much love and thanks for all the support, xo bitches.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N Their baby is due in the next couple of chapters, I would love to hear idea's for the baby's name! There's gonna be a surprise at the birth, anyone who can predict it will get to choose the babies name! If not, I'll just choose whichever suggestion I like best. GO ON, PARTICIPATE! Xo**

Draco slipped into his home at almost 9 am, drunk enough for the room to be spinning, but not so drunk that he was in any danger of throwing up. Then again, he was likely that drunk, he'd just always been incredibly gifted at holding his liquor. Unlike his wife, who had a lot less practice than him and generally threw up quite horrifically after a night on the hard stuff.

He'd been catching up with the only person besides Hermione and his children who had any priority in his heart. Blaise Zabini was his best friend from Hogwarts and the only one of his friends from that time in his life he was on speaking terms with. They didn't see each other often, Blaise was always out of the country, and he was a jet setting, in demand model and was constantly working.

When they were 16 and discovering themselves and learning about their own sexuality he and Draco had fooled around a fair bit, Blaise coming to realize he had zero interest in women, whilst Draco, who enjoyed their encounters well enough, preferred the opposite sex.

There had been no hard feelings between them and their friendship had only gotten stronger after that. After the Battle of Hogwarts Blaise had had a similar experience to Draco and changed his ways just as much. He was an eternal bachelor unlike his best friend, forever breaking up with some guy from some country, a natural play boy.

He and Draco had spent the night drinking in one the most exclusive wizard clubs in London, Draco was rich and important enough to be on the list, but Blaise's celeb status made them honoured guests. Hundred year old scotch flowed, music boomed, magical entertainment a constant, the highest quality of partying you can get.

After they'd had their fill of partying they'd apparated (not a good idea when drinking, Blaise had hurled upon landing) to the top of the London bridge and then just sat, above the city, talking and sharing a bottle of whiskey, the cities lights glowing, the noise of the nightlife hundreds of metres below them. It was cold enough that they could see their breath but they were too drunk to care. They'd had a good catch up, talking until Blaise fell asleep with Draco's arm around him and the latter man had sat peacefully, holding his friend as he watched the sun rise over the city.

The sun had wakened his friend, signalling an end to their glorious evening. Draco got Blaise home to his penthouse apartment and then stumbled to his own house.

He could the soft babble of his children playing as he climbed the stairs, their little brains ignoring the fact it was a Saturday and having no idea how great sleeping in was. Draco was exhausted, he was far too old to party like that, but god he'd enjoyed it.

He entered his bedroom quietly, the room dark, Hermione fast asleep, burrowed under the comforter like a rabbit, and slipped into the adjacent bathroom.

He relieved himself and then stripped,

His crumpled tux rustling as it fell to the floor as he turned the shower on and stepped eagerly under the scorching stream. He stood in the heat and steam for several minutes, just warming up before washing himself and brushing his teeth his breath heavy with stale scotch and whiskey.

He turned the water off, shook out his hair like a dog and grabbed a fluffy white towel from the cabinet, quickly drying off before wrapping it around his waist and exiting into his bedroom.

He pulled on a pair of pyjama pants and a grey t-shirt, ran the towel through his hair and tossed it to the laundry basket in the corner of the room. His eyes were on his gorgeous wife's peaceful face as he pulled down the duvet and climbed into their bed, the delicious warmth enveloping him as he shuffled his frame closer to her and lay down.

He pulled the covers up around his chin and pressed his long narrow form against her smaller one and wrapped his arms around her.

"MMmm, hello you." Hermione mumbled, her eyes still closed, her unruly hair in a wild tangle around her face as Draco planted a kiss on her cheek. "Morning." He replied, breathing in her sweet, familiar smell, a mixture of perfume, laundry powder, babies and shampoo.

She snuggled closer to her husband as she hovered between sleep and wake, her fingers twining in her t-shirt absently. Draco smiled as she drew closer to him, the intimacy almost overwhelming him with happiness after the distance they'd suffered for the last few weeks. Hermione had been dodging him left, right and centre, now, here she was, pulling him closer. Thank you, Draco thought inwardly, directing his thanks at whoever was up there, grateful to have his wife in his arms again.

"How was your night? What time did you get in?" Hermione asked as she opened her eyes, inhaling sharply as her husband's piercing grey eyes came into view, the love in them burning so brightly she was glad she was lying down because she felt weak at the knees.

"Just now." Draco informed her, a lock of his damp blond hair falling across his face as he leaned in to kiss her forehead. Hermione shivered as his lips grazed her skin and brushed the hair from his face.

"Bit old for an all-nighter aren't you?" She scoffed, her mischievous smile letting him know she was just teasing.

"Never." He chuckled and caught her hand, twining it in his own and pulling it to his mouth, his soft lips grazing her knuckles, causing her breath to catch in her throat.

"Can our fight be over now?" She breathed, the hair on the back of her neck rising as he kissed her wrist with deliciously intense pressure.

"God yes." Draco exclaimed, letting go of her hand and grabbing her head, pulling her face closer to his and kissing her passionately. She kissed him back, the next few minutes wild and delirious as they kissed so intensely it became aggressive, Hermione kissing his throat so hard he growled in sweet pain and lifted himself up, rolling her onto her back and pinning her there. He continued to kiss her and she gasped in surprise, their fully clothes bodies so close, her swollen baby belly pressed against his hard abdomen, their legs entwined, his arms on hers, his mouth on hers, then on her throat, then her collarbone, then inside the neck of her shirt.

He snaked his way down her body, her skin burning when his mouth had been, until he was between her legs and lifting her knees over his shoulders, her soft feet hanging behind his arms as he lifted her nightshirt and wrapped his arms around her thighs, drawing her close and pressing his lips to her opening. Hermione clutched her sheets as his silver moved about between her thighs, his tongue accosting her, pleasuring her so well she couldn't catch her breath and was making high pitched meowing sounds as she writhed against his mouth.

His tongue was inside her, then it was against her nub, sucking and pressuring her until she was almost screaming, her body wracked with overwhelming pleasure. It felt so good, he was so good, and she grabbed his pillow and covered her face as she orgasmed, unable to hold back her exclamations of ecstasy.

She was still trembling from the intense orgasm as Draco wiped his mouth and crawled back up to her. She pulled him on top of her again, pulling him inside her as he lay on her, their whole bodies touching as they rocked together. His cheek was pressed against hers, his lips caressing her neck, her hands in his hair, one of his arms wrapped around her, the other on her breast, the sex intimate and hot, the sensual closeness making them both sweat as their hips thrust in time with each other.

Hermione came first, moaning his name into his hair and clutching him tightly until he came inside her, his body suddenly going rigid before he relaxed onto her, his weight a comforting heat atop her. A moment or two later he lifted his head and rested his chin on his wife's ample breasts.

"Fuck I love you." His voice genuine with emotion as he spoke looking directly into his wife's deep brown eyes.

She couldn't hide a smile of delight as she ran her hands up and down his muscled arms, his words washing over her soul comfortingly, making her almost giddy with satisfaction and happiness. She pressed her lips to the bruise forming on his neck, a consequence of her passion, then to his mouth as she felt a familiar tingle between legs. "Wanna go again lover?"

"Do you even have to ask?" He replied, making her squeal with laughter as he grabbed her with a ferocious growl and kissed her wildly, already hard and ready for round two.

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"You okay?" Scorpius asked, visibly concerned as he dropped a stack of books on his young brothers bed. Half-brother, but shit like that didn't matter to him.

Hugo shrugged non-committedly, he'd refused to talk about the visible beating his face had had recently and Scorpius didn't want to press to hard, painfully aware of how much bullying sucked.

His own experience made him hesitant to get in the way of the bigger tougher guys at school, but recently he'd noticed the beatings Hugo got were more frequent and getting worse.

Not to mention Hugo was constantly pale, quiet and withdrawn, his usually sunny and cheerful self entirely gone since they'd gotten back to Hogwarts.

"Don't worry about it." Hugo brushed the subject off despite the fact that he was slowly dying inside and wanted nothing more than to confide in his big brother. But he knew he was being selfish, how could he drag Scorpius into it? It wasn't fair to, not after the cruelty he'd already suffered at the hands of small minded, big fisted idiots.

Scorpius and Hugo often did their homework together despite being different ages, both were excellent spell casters, real prodigies at potion making and almost as smart as Hermione at everything else and Hugo was already doing seventh year work anyway. With such exceptional parents it wasn't really a surprise that all of Hermione and Draco's children were exceptionally talented.

The boys studied together, snacking on magical lollies, and throwing small spells around as they aced their homework and started on the extra credit work they did for McGonagall whenever she had something new for them.

After a few moments of casual silence Hugo, who was sitting at the head of his bed, tossed his quill aside and nudged his big brother, who was sprawled across the foot of the bed, with his foot, capturing his attention.

"How did you talk to Teddy for the first time?" He asked, blushing furiously under his bruises.

Scorpius raised an eyebrow. "Got your eye on a young lady have we?"

Hugo shook his head furiously and kicked the older boy lightly. "NO! Just answer the question."

Scorpius chuckled and propped himself up on one elbow.

"Well we first met when I was being kicked to shit by some Slytherins, he came roaring up and thrashed the lot of them. He pulled me up, brushed me off, and said, Hi, I'm Teddy, then he kissed me and ran away. I avoided him for two days while I freaked out and tried to calm my excited ass down. Then finally I approached him and told him I liked his blue hair. About five minutes later I was sucking his dick in the boy's bathroom. That help?" He finished with a wolfish grin, enjoying his younger brothers intense blushing.

Hugo internalized this information, ignoring the cringe-worthy bits. "So he already liked you? He made the first move?"

"Yep, pretty much."

"Darn it." Hugo did not want to make the first move with Katerina. What if she rejected him? Fuck that'd hurt way too much.

Scorpius shrugged. "Hey, if this mystery girl, if she exists, might like you already and be waiting to make the first move too. One of you has to get off your arse and get it done."

Hugo lit up at this possibility. "Your right, you're absolutely right."

"Dude go up and talk to her. Just don't suck her dick in the boy's bathroom." Scorpius advised with laugh, jumping off the bed to avoid the pillow Hugo hurled at him.

"You're welcome!" He called back as he grabbed his books and left, pleased that he'd had some bonding time with his brother.

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	14. Chapter 14

"Okay, I can't decide, pink hair or black nail polish?" A heavily pregnant Hermione chuckled, holding her side uncomfortably despite her mirth as she held two photographs up for Ginny's inspection. The red head eyed the pictures seriously, her lips twitching slightly as she bit back laughter, enjoying the proof that her best friend's husband wasn't always the classy man he thought he was.

They were putting together a photo board for the Hogwarts Annual Celebration, it was a month away and the two women were only halfway through finding pictures of all the students from their year for the board. The theme was, embarrassing pictures.

The choices for Draco had been narrowed to down to the Goth phase when he had when was 19 or the regrettable hot pink hair he had sported for about three weeks during a holiday in Italy when he was 28.

"I think we have to go pink." Ginny decided. "He kind of pulled off eyeliner and nail polish."

"Agreed." Hermione added the pink photo to the growing pile on her dining room table and put the Goth one back in her photo album.

"Alright let's see, we've got your 6 year old mullet, me as a half-cat monster from second year, Harry's hideous strip tease at his bachelor party, Ron's dress robes from fourth year and Luna vomiting on the Minister for Magic when she had morning sickness during a Ministry brunch. That's a fantastic start." Hermione listed the highlights of the bunch as she applied glue to them and passed them to Ginny to stick on the board.

Harry had taken all the children out for a day at the zoo, leaving Ginny and Hermione at her house to work on their project. Hermione's baby was due in a week and she wasn't keen on much physical activity before then. Draco, unwilling to spend the morning with a Weasely, had gone grocery shopping.

The spent the rest of the morning on their project before Ginny, sensing Hermione was tired decided they'd done enough for the day. They packed up, chatting happily, but it wasn't until they were standing on Hermione's porch that Ginny finally asked her friend the question that had been weighing on her mind ever since her friend had confided her marital woes to her weeks before.

"So, are you guys staying together?" She asked, swapping the box of photos between her hands uncomfortably.

Hermione frowned at the red haired woman. "Of course."

Ginny looked taken back by her dismissiveness. "It's just you were pretty upset a few weeks ago, and you had every reason to be…"

"Ginny! Yes I was upset but we've worked through it, drop it okay?" Hermione was immediately defensive.

"Okay, okay, I'm just worried." Ginny apologized, hefting the box and turning away. She expected Hermione to stop her before she reached her car but the curly haired woman did no such thing.

Hermione watched her friend leave in silence. She was mad at Ginny for bringing up old pain right when she and Draco had rekindled their magic. She went inside, closing the front door and leaning against it. She wished Draco was home already. All she needed to reassure herself was his arms around her, his body against hers, his words of comfort in her ear.

She stayed in the cold foyer until the silence began bothering her. It was insanely quiet without the children and she started missing them a little too intensely. She got out her photo albums, and was soon sniffling into tissues and reminiscing about all of her children, and Draco, their family's past.

By the time Draco arrived home she was fast asleep in the middle of the afternoon, surrounded in photo albums and tissues, her cheeks tear stained. Draco's heart ached a little when he saw her like this. He quickly put the groceries away and cleaned up the mess around his wife. He was about to nestle in beside her when Harry arrived to drop off his children.

"Potter." "Malfoy."

"Hi babies. Shhh, mummy's sleeping okay." Draco greeted his children with affection, which his greeting to Harry was completely devoid of.

The children were exhausted but happy. He fed them and put them down for naps, Ariana going willingly, telling her father all about the trip as he tucked her in, and falling asleep almost instantly.

Jeffrey was similarly easy, though he had been frightened by a lot of the animals. Draco comforted him until he was content and left him to fall asleep on his own as Thomas was getting fussy.

He ended up walking Thomas up and down the hall, the toddler so exhausted from his exciting day that he was impossible to put down for sleep despite all he wanted/needed was sleep.

Eventually he stopped wailing and Draco tried putting him down in his cot, only for the boy to immediately begin sobbing. "Shh, shh baby." Draco murmured, patting his back and rocking him gently on his shoulder. "Come and sleep with mummy and daddy okay fella?"

He walked him downstairs, relived that he was quiet, his toddler's breathing sounding more and more like sleep as he was content on his dads shoulder. Draco kicked off his own shoes and slipped onto the wide couch in front of Hermione, letting Thomas slide slowly off his shoulder until he was snuggled happily between them.

He stroked Thomas's back until he fell asleep, his face turned toward his dad, his long lashes still damp from his tears, his face losing its red tinge slowly. Once he was asleep Draco moved his hand to his wife's arm, stroking her softly, her warm skin soft beneath his fingers. He ran his hand along her swollen belly as well, pausing to feel some gentle kicking from his unborn child before twining his fingers with hers.

"Mmmph, hey Malfoy." Hermione murmured, eyes still shut, her voice hazy with sleep. "Shhh, back to sleep beautiful." He whispered, watching her snuggle in closer before closing his own eyes.

Hours later he was woke up as something wet pooled under him. He opened his eyes groggily, rays of the setting sun right in his eyes as he got his bearings and put a hand down to feel the wetness on the couch beneath them. It was warm and sticky, confused, he lifted his hand into view and his heart dropped, waking him up fully, as the red stain on his fingertips came into focus.

He looked down in horror and saw that Hermione's jeans were soaked with blood, as was the couch, his own jeans and Thomas's feet.

Panicking he grabbed his wife's shoulder, shaking her as he got up, leaning over her as she groaned and turned her head away. On her face you could see she was in discomfort but still asleep.

"Babe, babe, wake up! Hermione you're bleeding." Draco shook her harder until she woke. For a moment she just looked at him, blinking numbly until her face suddenly crumpled in pain as her body became fully aware. She clutched her belly, her look of terror matching Draco's as she spoke.

"Call an ambulance."


	15. Chapter 15

It was utterly ridiculous. There were flowers everywhere. Their entire hotel room, every surface, covered with bouquet after bouquet of the most beautiful flowers Hermione had ever seen in her life.

And in the middle of the room, holding a bouquet of her favourite velvet rose's, stood her husband. His handsome face was red, his eyes swollen and watering, he was pointlessly suffering through his intense pollen allergy, just for this grand romantic gesture.

"Hermione Granger, will you do me the great honour of forgiving me for getting you pregnant again, right when you'd just reached your goal weight?" Draco asked with a watery grin, holding out the rose to her.

"Oh my god you're so silly Draco Malfoy." Hermione was wiping away tears of her own, blown away by how perfect he was. "Of course I forgive you!" She took the flowers, sniffed them, they were heaven, then put them aside and wrapped her arms around the love of her life.

"I love you so much!" She sobbed, crying mostly because she was happy but also emotional thanks to the hormones. "Well thank god because I'm not really that sorry because your boobs are gonna get so big again and that's nothing but a win for me." Draco ducked as she swatted him way, smiling as she wiped her eyes again.

"Look at us, we're a mess."

"Yeah I might not have thought this plan through very well." Draco turned away to sneeze violently. "You better steal me outta here before you have to call an ambulance."

"Call an ambulance."

Her own words echoed in her mind as she lay, still, terrified, waves of dulled pain washing over her. The lights buzzed above her, they were bright, especially in the white, sterile room. She wasn't exactly sure why her mind turned to that night in Paris, there time there had been wonderful, they'd taken the young children, and Hermione's parents, to watch the children sometimes so she and Draco could be alone. Whilst there she had discovered she was pregnant with Ariana, and she hadn't been immediately happy. But Draco's excitement had enthused her and his gesture, his flower arrangement, had convinced her that she was happy about it.

Of course following Ariana's birth, Hermione was reminded how much she loved babies, and reignited her desire for a large family. Her next pregnancy, oh she had been excited, she was into it from day one, as was Draco. And then their angel had been stillborn. They had been devastated. They'd handled is so differently. Hermione couldn't bear to be away from her living children, losing sleep because she refused to ever put Ariana down, and wouldn't leave the house or let the children leave for almost six weeks. During that time Draco hadn't left his bed. He went into a depression as deep as the one after the Battle of Hogwarts.

They had been inconsolable.

Somehow though they had climbed out of the hole their grief had put them in, for Draco it was his children growing scared of him as he ghosted around and snapped if they talked to him. He had to pull himself together so he didn't lose them as well. For Hermione it was pure exhaustion. After weeks of insomnia she fell asleep nursing the toddler Ariana, who rolled off her mother, rolled off the couch and broke her tiny wrist. Her screams had woken Hermione up, literally and figuratively.

After that their family grew stronger, and the arrival of Jeffrey healed their hearts a little, Thomas's a little more.

And now their baby, the one they'd decided was their last, was in danger.

Hermione was in the ER, she was being prepped for an emergency C-section. She hadn't been able to grasp everything the doctors said, the loss of blood made her fuzzy, the drugs anaesthesia even more.

All she really knew was that her uterus was torn, or detached, or something, god it was hard to stay awake, and that her baby had to be pulled out before it ran out of oxygen or drowned, or, oh god. Lights shone bright in Hermione's eyes and muffled shouts echoed in her ears before everything went black.

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"She's out!" The nurse was like a caterwaul, heard probably throughout the entire ER. "Wheel her in!" The order rang out and before Draco even knew what was happening they were collapsing the sides of the bed Hermione was on and wheeling her away her into surgery.

She was covered in blood still and she was deathly pale, her freckles stark against her usually olive skin. She looked so small and helpless.

"Sir, step back, please go to the waiting room." A nurse was trying to make him leave.

"No, that's my wife in there, I need to go in, she needs me." Draco explained desperately, trying to get past.

"Sir your wife had been put under anaesthetic, she doesn't know you're not there, this is a very intense procedure, and you can't be in there." She explained, sympathetic but firm.

"I haven't missed the birth of anyone of my children." Draco argued, stepping past and striding toward the surgery.

"Security!" He was almost instantaneously tackled by two huge security guards. "No! I need to see her!" Draco thrashed around like an eel, kicking and fighting to regain his footing, his terror and worry overriding his common sense as he tried to get to his wife's side. "Stay down!" The guard ordered, slamming Draco into the ground, knocking the wind right out of him.

He lay there stunned, gasping for breath as the guard's face swam above him. "If you go in there you might not have a wife to be beside." The he said roughly.

"Okay, okay." Draco rasped, un-balling his fists and putting his hands on either side of his head, admitting his defeat.

"Someone will come and get you as soon as your wife is stable." The nurse told him gently as he was escorted to the waiting room, his head hanging, her words barely registering in his mind. "You should call your family, prepare them for the worst."

Unable to be with Hermione, unable to protect her, or his unborn child, Draco was numb, cut off from what was happening, left to think the worse, alone with his thoughts. He didn't call anyone. His mother had apparated to their house at his urgent request while he was waiting for an ambulance and was with the children, so they at least were safe, and hopefully still asleep, blissfully unaware that mummy was in danger. He hadn't called the older kids, how could he? No, it would wait until he saw Hermione, with or without their baby.

As long as she was okay, no matter how much losing another child would hurt, her safety was what mattered most to him.


	16. Chapter 16

"Already? Oh my god you're useless." Rose complained as her disappointing new lover came almost immediately. She shoved the year six Ravenclaw off her, she had already been uncertain of his name and now cared even less. "You were barely even inside me."

The boy scrambled off her bed and buckled his pants. "So, it wasn't good for you?" He asked, looking at her a bit forlornly.

"No. Now get out." Rose scoffed as he ducked out of her dorm room in embarrassment and crossed her arms huffily. Of course, no one could satisfy her, not when the man she truly desired had the audacity to desire her mother instead.

It was Draco Malfoy that she craved inside her, him she wanted more than anything. She had a plan to win him, but it would take time and she was so impatient to put her thoughts to actions. She had to wait for her mother to give birth and then recover a little, losing a few pounds hopefully, before Rose would again take the Polyjuice potion she had brewed and seduce her step-father. This way, whilst masquerading as her mother, she could enjoy him sexually, learn what he liked, and satisfy her thirst for him.

The next part of her plan was a little shaky. As much as she would enjoy finally fucking him, he wouldn't KNOW he was fucking her, and she wanted to him to love her, to want her, as much as she wanted him. She was sure he already did, certain the only reason they were apart was because he was distracted by her mother.

"Maybe she needs to be taken out of the equation." Rose mused aloud as she paced the length of her room, naked, her hair and eyes wild. Had there been anyone present to see her, they would likely have been horrified to observe how thin she had become in the last month. Her bones protruded distinctively beneath her pale skin. Her hair didn't have its usual shine either, it was dull and snapped easily.

Rose had found herself eating less and less, not purposefully, it was just that her time was so consumed with her scheming. And with seducing other students to practice with in preparation for bedding Draco.

Rose felt certain that if Hermione were gone Draco would be free to love her instead, so she would have to redouble her efforts to break them up. Admittedly she'd tried hard to do so already, acting as though she hated Draco, making such a big deal that she thought her supposedly loving mother would have divorced him for her sake. Shouldn't her daughter's happiness have been more important?

No. Apparently not. Her mother, that selfish bitch, had chosen her husband over her daughter, time and time again. She had inflicted punishments on Rose and never taken her seriously. And even though she longed for him, she had grown to resent her step-father for real. Only because she'd realized her mother would never choose her over him. When she realized that, that was the day she decided her mother no longer mattered to her.

Now she focused only on Draco, knowing, despite her resentment of his position in the family, it wouldn't matter when she was his wife instead of her mother. Then it would just be them. Forever.

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She felt very numb. And very warm. Sound was still muffled, as was her vision as she opened her eyes. Hermione blinked several times as she tried to remember where she was and what was happening. Slowly it came back to her, the blood, the sirens, sharp pain, Draco's face, then blackness.

Her vision focused, she took in the curtains around her bed, the IV in her arm, and then she saw that her belly was considerably smaller and well bandaged. She looked to left. Nothing. To her right, nothing.

Where was her baby?

"Hello?" Hermione croaked, fully aware now, her heart-rate increasing as she panicked. Why was their no crib? Where was Draco? She received no answer and started fumbling around, trying to sit up, her fingers clumsy from the anaesthetic, her entire lower half completely without feeling, and managed to locate the button for assistance. She pressed it a few times before collapsing back onto the pillow, exhausted by this small task.

Miraculously quickly a nurse came through her curtains, un-smiling but also not looking as though she was about to deliver news of death.

"Mrs Malfoy, your awake. That's good news. I'll send your husband and a doctor in right away." She talked right through Hermione's questions about her baby and left without answering her.

"Hey!" Hermione called angrily, her voice cracking. She needed water, but she needed her baby more. "Come back, where's my baby?"

She waited in agonizing silence for about five minutes before finally her doctor entered.

His face was grave, but his tone was kind, filled with hope. "Hermione, you have a healthy baby boy."

Hermione's relief was intense. It flooded her, leaving her almost giddy. "Can I see him?"

Her doctor hesitated, coming to stand beside her and took her hand in his own. "He is a healthy and strong baby, but Hermione, I'm afraid he has zero vision, he is 100% blind."

Her relief faltered but ultimately won over the shock of this revelation. "But he's healthy? He's going to be okay?" She asked, tearing up a little.

"Yes, he's perfect." The doctor replied, offering Hermione a box of tissues off the stand beside the bed. She accepted gratefully and smiled tearfully at his words. "Can I see him now?"

"Yes, but there is just one more thing. This is uncommon but can happen, during your scans, your son's heartbeat was masking another, she's very small and must have been hiding behind him. When we went in for your little man, we found a sister as well. You've given birth to twins, and they both made it. You have a daughter as well." The doctor appeared to be choosing his words carefully and as he finished, before Hermione had even processed properly, in walked Draco, dishevelled, and holding two little bundles. The larger one was wrapped in blue and the much smaller in pink.

"Say hello to mummy." Draco whispered, kneeling beside Hermione's bed, his cheeks visibly tear stained and resting the sleeping babies on the bed at Hermione's side.

Her own eyes spilling over, all the emotions of the moment just overwhelming her Hermione gazed at her two youngest children, her newly born babies.

Her boy, plump and pink, a shock of brown hair like her own, his dad's aristocratic nose, sleeping peacefully in his blanket. Draco eased him into her arms and kissed his wife's forehead tenderly before he placed their daughter in her arms as well.

Though equally as soft and warm, and incredibly pink, her daughter was much smaller, and her face very different.

"Your daughter has Down Syndrome." The doctor informed Hermione as she stared at her smallest baby, her face un-readable. Draco was standing over her anxiously, exhausted by the emotional journey meeting his two babies had been. He'd had to do it alone, he'd never held one of their babies before Hermione before and it felt like a trespass of nature. The surprise of twins, the information that their son was blind, and their unexpected daughter had Down Syndrome. It was way too much to take in on his own and his reaction had mostly been to cradle and cuddle them, shaking as sobs wracked his body until the nurse had finally signaled that Hermione was awake.

"I'll leave you four alone." The doctor said after the silence following his previous statement. He went out, wheeled in two cribs, then left properly.

"Hermione?" Draco prompted, desperate for his wife to say something.

She looked up him, her eyes shining with tears, her expression that of a wild animal with a gun pointed at it. "How old are they?"

"Four hours." Draco informed her gently, hoping she wasn't too devastated to miss the birth. To be fair, they both had, Hermione unconscious, Draco not allowed in the surgery.

"Four hours." She repeated, turning her gaze back to her babies. Her husband noticed how dry her voice was and quickly poured her a cup of water from the stand beside her bed. At her behest he gently took the babies away one at a time, tucking them into their cribs and then giving Hermione the water. She sipped it thirstily before crushing the cup in her hand, her tears spilling over.

"Baby," Draco crooned, tossing the cup away and taking her hand.

"Will you just hold me?" Hermione beseeched him, her hands shaking in his.

"Of course." Draco couldn't bear her being so upset and immediately crawled into the narrow bed beside her, careful not to disturb her stitches and wrapped his arms around her trembling form.

"Shhh, shh." He soothed her, one arm across her, the other stroking her unruly curls softly. "It's going to be okay."

Hermione shook her head against his chest where she had buried her face, and let out a heart wrenching sob.

"No, it's not."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N Thank you so much to each and every person who reads this story! An especially big shout out to those blessed few who take the time to review! Feedback is amazing whether positive or negative. Thanks to you guys this story now has over 10,000 views and that makes me so happy my heart hurts a little.**

The letter Scorpius received from his father two days after the birth of his twin siblings had been intense. Scorpius couldn't tell how his father felt about the news he'd dropped on his son at all. He himself didn't quite know what to feel, all he knew was he wanted to be at home, he wanted was to be with his family. Thankfully his father felt the same and so, following his instructions, Scorpius had rounded up his siblings from various classes throughout Hogwarts, broke the news to them, and had sent them to pack their things.

Julius and Hugo had both seemed troubled, Rose was predictably inappropriate, immediately condemning their mother for, as she put it, failing at the simple task of creating a child.

Scorpius had ignored her and ordered her to be at the train platform promptly at seven that evening. His father had already contacted the Headmistress, and McGonagall had given them a week off, so they could go home.

Leaving Teddy behind, right when he needed his boyfriend with him, that part sucked. His lover had been furious when denied accompanying them, his grades too low to warrant time away from class for a family matter not directly related to him, according to McGonagall. He dutifully helped Scorpius pack though, and walked to the train platform with them.

His brothers were quiet, sitting on their trunks, waiting for the train, his sister was nowhere to be seen and the clock was fast approaching seven.

"Your mums going to be fine." Teddy murmured to his boyfriend, pulling him into a tight hug. "And there's nothing wrong with being different, you know that."

"I know." Scorpius hugged him back ferociously, holding him as close as he could. He breathed in the scent of his hoodie, his cologne, and ran a hand through his fluffy blue hair. "How am I supposed to support my parents without you there to support me?"

"Because you're a big tough Slytherin, that's how." Teddy squeezed him tight and then stepped away, right as the incoming train whistled in the distance. "I'll call you, we can have nasty phone sex." He flashed his gorgeous grin at Scorpius and jumped down off the platform.

"You better." Scorpius called after him as he jogged back up the hill toward Hogwarts, his heart tightening painfully as he watched him go.

Good god was he hopelessly in love.

Rose's arrival coincided with the train almost exactly. She was fully made up and wearing a skirt and heels even though Spring had barely begun and there were still small patches of snow under tree's.

Scorpius had noticed his step-sisters decline in weight recently, but he had found himself having trouble caring. He kept finding notes in the school bathrooms, recognizably written in Rose's handwriting, spreading gross rumours about him and half of the girls and boys at the school.

They were harmless enough, people rarely bothered the slender blonde now that he had Teddy protecting him. It was more the fact that she felt the ned to say/write such things about him, when they were supposed to be family, that really enraged him. He ignored her at all costs, separating himself from her completely at school. It was only in situations like this one, where he had to include her, that he spoke to her at all.

"You're late." He said reproachfully to her as they boarded the train.

"I'm on the train, aren't I? If I was late, you would have already left." Rose snapped back, pulling out her iPhone. She stalked away from Scorpius and avoided the compartment her younger rothers had chosen and settled herself into one of her own, choosing to lounge across an entire seat. She finally had access to social media, no that they were away from the dead zone known as Hogwarts, and was immediately occupied with catching up on everything she'd missed.

Scorpius settled in with his brothers, both of whom were looking pale and scared.

"Guys, mums going to be fine, and this isn't even awful news, you both look like someone's died." Scorpius tried to assure them they had very little to worry about. "It's exciting to have a new baby brother and sister, isn't it?"

"But she'll be retarded, right?" Hugo asked, looking half ashamed, half curious.

"Of course not, she'll just be more like a child than a grown up when she's our age." Scorpius floundered a little, he himself not that knowledgeable on the subject of Down Syndrome. "But she'll be our little sister and we'll look after her."

Hugo looked reassured, and fell asleep soon after that, resting his head on his older brothers shoulder and snoring softly. Julius continued to look dismal, but refrained from saying anything, choosing to read for the duration of their journey.

Scorpius spent the journey trying not to overthink anything, and already missing Teddy. Their grandmother, Narcissa, met them at Kings Cross and drove them in their parent's car, first to get some dinner, and then to their home.

It was late when they arrived, the house was dark, and Narcissa encouraged them all to be quiet. She sent them all to bed, promising the younger ones that they would see their parents in the morning. She gave Scorpius a hug and then left, assuring him that she was just a phone call away if he needed her.

Scorpius made sure his brothers were in bed, noting Rose's locked door, and went to check on his other siblings who were too young for Hogwarts, so he hadn't seen them in months.

Surprisingly, they were all asleep, and looked peaceful. He hovered outside of his parent's door for a few minutes, unsure, before opening it and peeking inside. Their curtains were open, bathing the room in moonlight, it was almost full, and giving his family an ethereal glow.

His father was face down in his pillow, just as Scorpius himself slept, one arm hanging off the bed, the other across the side of his mother's waist, above the bandage around her lower abdomen. His mother was on her side, hands and feet buried in her husband's side. Scorpius padded over to them and pulled their blankets up higher, careful not to wake them.

At the foot of the bed stood two cribs, both ones used by older siblings. Scorpius peered into both, smiling in the moonlight as he gazed at the tiny faces of his baby brother and sister. They were adorable beyond compare, both spattered with their mother's freckles and all bundled up in matching green woollen blankets.

Satisfied that all was right in the house Scorpius tip toed back to his own room, disheartened to sleep alone in his bed without Teddy, but fully certain he was where he was meant to be.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I am sorry it's been ages. I'm sorry it's short. Life is a bit rough right now. Hope you enjoy. x**

"Did the children arrive safely?"

Hermione was attempting to sit up in bed, wincing as her stitches stretched, her eyes watering from the pain.

"Yes every single one is under this roof." Draco reassured her, his features creasing in concern as he sat gently beside her. "Here, take these and then we'll face the crowd." He passed her painkillers and some water from her nightstand and pressed a kiss to her forehead as she took them.

Once she'd swallowed the pills she set the glass aside and stared down their bed to the two cribs at the end. Both used to house her older children, one was a sweet cane bassinet, painted white and threaded with yellow silk ribbon, the other was a dark stained oak with a white canvas awning. And now they held her newest babies, babies she feared she knew nothing about raising.

"I feel so numb." Hermione whispered, leaning her head against Draco's shoulder and doing her best to hold back tears.

"I'm here. I've got you." Draco assured her, holding her head to his chest and kissing her hair fiercely. "We haven't been defeated before and we aren't defeated now. Sure we have a few hurdles ahead, but it's nothing we can't handle."

"I'm too tired, and scared, and too old to handle it." Hermione wailed, her tears flowing freely as she clung to her husband.

"Rubbish." Draco protested and held her tighter. "You can't lose your shit, otherwise I'll lose my shit, and then we'll be a real mess."

"I am a mess." Hermione sniffed ruefully.

"But you're a sexy mess." Draco encouraged her with a final kiss to her curly head.

"I love you." Hermione whispered, another tear squeezing out as her heart flushed with gratitude that she had Draco by her side.

"Ditto Granger." Draco unravelled himself from his wife gently, stopping to boop her nose before standing and stretching.

It was now that their surprising quiet moment ended and one of their babies started stirring.

"Good morning little man." Draco cooed as he lifted his youngest son from his basinet and cradled him softly. The babe's unseeing blue eyes wandered as he moved restlessly in Draco's arms. He took his son over to Hermione, placing him in her arms before he could start crying, and his mother carefully guided him to her breast.

The baby's anxious restlessness was instantly soothed as he suckled at her breast, his tiny body, dressed in a sweet mint green onesie, nestled perfectly against his mother.

Hermione almost relaxed as she fed him, it felt natural, it was the same as all her previous children, maybe, she wondered inwardly, and maybe they could do this.

Then the tiny baby in the other crib woke up to immediately start wailing.

Draco hurried to their daughter as her distressed cries alarmed her twin brother and suddenly both were screaming at the top of their tiny lungs.

After several tense seconds Hermione was feeding both babies, propped up by pillows, a baby in each arm, one on each tender breast, and tears streaming down her face.

Draco was on his knees in front of her on the bed, sort of sitting on her legs, using on hand to hold their sons head in position and the other to hold his wife's breast and press her nipple into their blind child's mouth. With a child in both arms Hermione wasn't able to guide him to a proper latch, and with Draco's help it minimized the pain she had to suffer.

On the other side, feeding her daughter was a miserable task. The baby never stopped crying, the huge tears squeezing out of her scrunched up eyes tore at Hermione's soul, and her constant fretting made a god latch impossible, and caused Hermione significant pain.

Draco tried to alternate his help but their daughter screamed and protested whenever he touched her while feeding. And so they suffered onwards until eventually the newborns were fed, burped and put back to sleep.

"What are we going to do when they're too old to go back to sleep? There's too many of them." Hermione despaired as she gingerly climbed from the bed and pulled on a grey hoodie from Draco's wardrobe.

"I don't even want to think about it." Draco sighed, pulling on some clothes himself.

Hermione sniffed hard and pulled her unruly mane into a ponytail just as a gentle knock sounded at the door.

At Draco's soft invitation the door opened and their oldest son poked his head around the corner.

"I have a lot of children out here anxious to see you guys." Scorpius whispered, his face was apologetic but also held a whisper of longing, he'd missed his parents.

Hermione forced a smile for her son and switched the baby monitor newly set up in their bedroom on.

"We better not keep them waiting."


	19. Chapter 19

For Hermione, being surrounded by her children was emotional. The little ones had missed her intently, despite only having spent a couple of days with limited access to their mother, and wouldn't leave her alone.

She found herself holding them for as long as they would let her, trying to feel right, to fill the hollow emptiness that was plaguing her, but before she felt anything they wriggled with boredom and ran off for breakfast. Scorpius and Hugo were cooking up a storm, and she was entirely grateful to them. The idea of doing it herself seemed so impossible, and thanks to them she also got to avoid the horror that was her husband in the kitchen.

However, the entire time, even as she was holding Jeffrey, listening to his story, playing with his wild curls, her mind kept returning to her newborns, unable to keep them from her thoughts, they were like a dark, toxic pull.

She found herself wandering away from her boisterous family, slipping away unseen as they chowed down on scrambled eggs, and walked back to her room. Behind its closed door she felt safer, it muted out the sounds that usually brought her joy. She drew the curtains, casting darkness around the room and came to stand above her sleeping babies.

Tears dripped from her cheeks as she looked at them, her eyes almost unseeing, that was the intensity of her gaze. They were so peaceful, asleep, quiet, not screaming. Almost as if they weren't there.

She gripped the edges of the bassinets as her vision focused and she shook her head slightly. OF course they were there. She just wasn't sure how she was supposed to cope with them.

She gazed at her daughter's irregular face, in the dim light and, and she had to admit some part of her felt she needed fixing, and sometimes things seem broken, even if they aren't.

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Draco noted his wife's absence almost immediately, but he didn't follow her. She likely wanted to be alone, and Draco himself wanted to be around their children. Just listening to the soft hubbub of their chatter and laughter seemed to refresh his soul. He joined the older kids in the kitchen to wash up from breakfast. Julian had all the small children at the table, drawing pictures of their new family, helping to satiate their curiosity to meet their new siblings.

"When will we get to see them?" Scorpius asked Draco, his son sensing what was on his mind.

Draco frowned and bit his lip. "I'm not entirely sure. We have to get them calm, and thus far your newest sister doesn't like being touched.

"The kids are dying to hold them." Scorpius sighed as he emptied the sink.

"I know." Draco agreed, still unsure how to handle this new hurdle in their life. Never had anything happened like this. Each child had been new, one at a time, healthy, and well, they weren't born during an emergency.

Except Angel of course. His time in the waiting room at the hospital had brought back sharp memories of losing their deceased child, and Draco knew Hermione was burdened with these memories as well.

It was just such a weird experience, they hadn't even named the twins yet, for Christ sake. Usually the name decision came naturally, during those first beautiful moments, Draco clutching Hermione, as she held their baby for the first time, their baby scrunched up and purple, yet beautiful, Hermione red and glowing with exhaustion, but happy. Draco overflowing with pride.

It was a primal beauty, it was bonding. And this was the first time it hadn't happened.

He was grateful of course, that the babies had made it, it had been worse going through the birth and coming out with nothing but a tiny, cold body.

But now, he was just so overwhelmed. And when he thought about his near future, two babies, one blind, one disabled, he felt so very, very old.

And he couldn't even focus on that. He had a bunch of children out of school, where they were missing valuable classes, which he knew would be upsetting Hermione, and he had noticed Hugo had several half faded bruises. He needed to contact McGonagall about that.

Not to mention Rose, who had only seen briefly, looked sickly. She was pale, and the thinnest he'd ever seen her. Her hair looked weird too. Kind of, lank, unhealthy even.

That and his littlest children all were lacking in attention.

He rubbed his eyes, shaking off all of his worry and poured a lukewarm coffee from the machine and gulped it down quickly.

"I'm going to talk to your mother, you guys relax a bit okay? Put a movie on or something."

The kids agreed and Draco left them, though he found himself ascending the stairs somewhat slowly. He stood outside his bedroom door for several minutes, unsure of what exactly was holding him back, but being held back, nonetheless.

Eventually he knocked softly, and Hermione called for him to enter. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light of their bedroom, the curtains were drawn, but as he closed the door behind him he noticed Hermione wasn't in their bed. She was sitting, cross-legged, on the floor in front of bassinets, and she had their youngest son in her arms.

"Hey." He whispered, kneeling beside her, watching as the baby sweetly suckled on one of his wife's fingers.

"Hey." She whispered back, lifting her head up to give him a small smile and greet him with a kiss.

It was only small, and she didn't linger, but just feeling her against him like that revived Draco in a way nothing else could.

"What are we gonna call them?" Draco asked, and stood so he could gently pick up their sleeping daughter. He settled down beside Hermione, and held his tiny daughter in his arms.

Her features were so delicate, her hands the tiniest he'd ever seen, and completely perfect. In his beloved arms, their son, awake and gurgling quietly, his unseeing eyes the brightest of silver, his features a perfect blend of Hermione's and his own. He felt overwhelmed with love.

"I think he's Nicholas. That's been on our list for years." Hermione eventually answered, looking over at Draco, her eyes misty. "I love it." Draco agreed, the name immediately fitting the angelic boy in Hermione's arms.

"What about this one?" Draco prompted her, lifting their tiny baby up so Hermione could see her properly in the dim light.

"I'm not sure." Hermione whispered, her tone emotional.

Draco thought for a moment, and hesitated, because they had agreed not to have all Latin names, like the Pure Blood families often did, but there was a name Draco suddenly felt was perfect.

"What about, Amara?" He suggested softly, easing the child into Hermione's arms despite her reluctance. He held her while she held them both, tensely at first and then slowly relaxed.

"It means beloved." He added, kissing her shoulder gently.

"Beloved." She repeated huskily as a tear fell from her eye and landed on the baby's blanket.

"Nicholas and Amara. Our babies." Hermione said with a sniff, and cuddled them to her. "Our last babies."


	20. Chapter 20

At some point her mother must have remembered her other children existed and were worth her attention, because Hermione choose that evening to present the twins to the rest of the family.

Nicholas and Amara. More siblings to steal the attention she so desperately desired.

Rose wasn't impressed by the babies. She thought her sisters distinctive features were hideous, and her brothers unseeing eyes equally as unappealing. She had no time for them. While her brothers and sister cooed over them, she slipped away, oblivious to the reproachful look her stepfather shot her as she left.

Once back in her room she locked the door and stripped out of her clothes until she was left in only a singlet and underwear.

She stood in front of her full length mirror and pinched the taught skin across her abdomen in disgust. Where anyone else would see a horrifying amount of bones protruding under her pale skin, Rose saw fat. Her cheekbones were sharper and her skin looked almost grey, she looked years older. Her usually bright eyes looked dull, and her flaming hair was lank and broke easily.

Most horrifying was that along her back, stomach and arm, her usually fine hairs had grown long and wispy. At first she had been tweezing them out, but now she just hide them along with her body behind baggy clothes. It was frustrating for her to feel so ugly. But there no way she could feel pretty until she was looking at her reflection in Draco Malfoys loving silver eyes.

Hot tears slipped out from under her eyelids as she looked at the pictures taped to the top of her mirror.

Photos of Pansy Parkinson, Astoria Greengrass, and her mother, Hermione Granger, all taken when they were around Roses age, were plastered across her vision.

She had to be prettier than them. She had to be thinner. These women, except thus far her fat mother, hadn't been able to keep Draco's attention long. And she was going to be with him forever. Until they died in each other's arms. And so she had to be better than them. Better than all of them.

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Hermione went to bed with mixed emotions that night. On the one hand, she was pleased to have named their twins, they felt like part of the family now, and to have introduced them to the rest of her brood.

Their love and adoration had been a wave of peace for her. But a number of things had immediately concerned her. With a clearer head, she had noticed some troubling things about her kids.

Hugo had several partially healed bruises, and was almost completely silent. This meant he was still being bullied, which made Hermione's stomach curl with anger, and magic electrify her fingertips as she imagined people hurting her son.

And, she had been shocked to her core when she saw her oldest daughter. Rose looked like she'd aged years, in months. She was unbearably thin as well. She looked dull, and she hadn't started any kind of trouble since she'd been home. She'd just been hiding in her room.

It was a very real worry, that her daughter was anorexic. But how was she supposed to help, when just looking at Rose could earn you a tantrum the size of England?

Not to mention she worried about how much was on Scorpius's shoulders right now.

And she just felt so tired. There was so much she needed to do, wanted to do, but the twins were her main occupation, as they were in constant need of attention. That's the things about babies.

Amara, especially, was difficult to comfort, as she seemed to dislike both being touched, and being put down. The only reason she was currently asleep was because she had exhausted herself into slumber.

So, despite her best efforts Hermione barely got to see her older children that day and when she finally collapsed into bed, she was alone.

Her husband was still running around the house, corralling the children, and dealing with all the things she ought to be doing. But despite her guilt, her eye lids felt like lead and they were essentially closing against her will as she climbed into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin.

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Two days later Draco was standing at Kings Cross Station, bidding his older children farewell, their return to Hogwarts imminent. Julius was geared up with headphones, his iPod and scary looking book, and distractedly said goodbye to his father before boarding the train.

Draco hugged Hugo fiercely, and reminded him not to suffer any bullying in silence. Hugo shrugged him off though, less approachable than usual, and muttered his goodbye.

To his surprise Rose came up to him, her lank hair pulled up into a ponytail that only enhanced the newfound sharpness in her face. Somewhat impulsively she grabbed his arms and planted a brief kiss on his cheek.

"Good bye." She whispered and darted away, boarding before Draco could properly react. He stared after her on confusion, his hand going to his cheek as he wondered what on earth this new step in their relationship meant.

Last time she had actually spoken to him, she had been screaming about how much she hated him.

"That was weird." Scorpius hiked his backpack over his shoulder and gave his father a pointed look.

"Weird is just the beginning of it." Draco muttered before shaking it off and offering his oldest son a smile. "Say hi to Teddy for your mother and me." He said and pulled the boy into a hug.

"I will." Scorpius hugged his dad back before saying goodbye and getting on the train.

Half his kids successfully on the train, Draco left platform 9 and 3 Quarters, and went to pick up the rest from his parents' house.

Draco yawned as he buckled Thomas into his car seat, and pulled a blanket over his drowsing son. It was only evening but he felt like it was midnight. He tuned out as he hustled the talkative Ariana into the middle seat, and then buckled Jeffrey into his booster seat. The latter child had about 18 soft toys to pile in after him, because he took them everywhere, and he cried until Draco located the correct green dragon (of three almost-exactly-the-same green dragons) and gave it to him to hold.

He closed the door after them and turned to him mother who was waiting beside him, her arms full of home cooked food.

Narcissa had grown quite maternal since the war. It was hard not to when you had a brood of adorable grandchildren.

Draco accepted the food gratefully and stashed it in the trunk of the car, stifling another yawn as Narcissa looked at him with concern.

"Look after yourself, won't you son?" She ordered softly as she pulled him into a hug.

Draco held the hug as long as he thought he could get away with. It was so comforting to have her reassuring arms around him. But he could hear his children getting restless in the car so he broke it off and offered her a tired smile.

"I'll try. Thanks for everything."

Once he'd settled the children again he climbed behind the wheel and pulled out of his parent's driveway.

"I'm hungry." Ariana piped up, almost as soon as they had left.

"We'll have dinner soon." Draco assured her glancing at her face in the rear view mirror as he stopped at a red light.

"Can we please have chicken nuggets daddy?" She followed up from the backseat, putting on her most convincing smile as she caught his eye in the mirror.

Draco thought about waiting for his mother food to reheat, and then doing dishes and then washing all the kids, and then putting them all to bed. Fuck it. Cut out some of the jobs.

"Let's go get chicken nuggets Ari." He agreed, putting the car in gear and pulling forward.

His decision was met with a chorus of cheers, and extended too much excited chortling and gurgling until they reached their local takeout.

Draco set all the kids up to eat on the way home, even taking a longer route than usual, and enjoyed some chicken nuggets of his own. And fries. And soft drink. And some of Thomas's fries.

Once the kids had downed their nuggets, chips, and juice, Draco drove them home and hustled them all, and the food from his other inside. He put the latter items in the refrigerator and ran a bath upstairs for the children. He plunked the lot of them in it, and scrubbed them all as quickly as they'd allow. He left the older two to play in the bubbles as he dried and dressed little Thomas. Thankfully the toddler was tired out and went down to sleep easily.

Then he went and got the other two out, wrapping each one in a fluffy white towel and sending them to their bedrooms under strict orders to put on their pjs.

Draco let out the bathwater and mopped up the excess water from their playful splashing with a towel, and gathered that and all of their clothes and headed downstairs to the laundry. Yawning yet again, he loaded everything into the washing machine, and stripped his own clothes, down to nothing, and put them in the washer as well. He added the detergent and turned on the washer with a simultaneous yawn and stretch.

He grabbed himself a clean pair of pyjama pants from the dryer, stopping to sniff his armpit, checking to see if he could get away with going to bed without showering, and decided he could. He pulled the pants on, and went to lock the front door, and turned all the lights off downstairs.

With a groan he climbed the stairs again and went to check on Ariana and Jeffrey. He found them both in the younger boy's room. Ariana had put on her favourite pyjamas, a pair that were camouflage patterned, and was holding her favourite stuffed animal, a purple tyrannosaurus-rex she'd named Gladys, and she helped her brother into his pink and white unicorn onesie.

"You guys ready for bed?" He asked hopefully, but Jeffrey shook his head stubbornly.

"Want to sleep with mummy." He said, matter of fact, as he toddled over and held onto Draco's leg.

"Ooh me too, pleeeeeease." Ariana chimed in, who was old enough to do as she was told, but was hoping to use her younger brother as leverage to get to sleep with their parents tonight.

Draco, too tired to argue, just sighed and picked Jeffrey up, the child warm against his bare side as he nodded his head.

"You guys can sleep with us, but only if you don't make a peep. We can't wake up your little brother and sister okay?" Draco instructed as he flicked off the bedroom light and Ariana followed him down the hallway.

"Promise." Both children replied in unison, both too pleased to disagree.

Draco accepted this and opened his bedroom door. Hermione's bedside lamp was on, a low setting, so a dim light was cast across the room. Hermione herself was in bed, lying on her back, Amara fast asleep on her naked chest, nestled between her breasts, and Nicholas asleep against her side, her arm wrapped around him protectively. Both babies were wearing matching soft mint onesies and looked beyond adorable.

Hermione had been dozing lightly, but opened her eyes as Ariana climbed onto the bed. Hermione gave her soft smile and mouthed a hello. She looked up at Draco, who shrugged an apology before following Ariana into the bed.

At his wife's quiet request Draco eased Nicholas from his position beside her, and returned the warm bundle to his own bassinet. The baby gurgled quietly but remained asleep, and Draco finally got into bed. They did have a very large bed, and both parents were quite used to having children join them in it, and they fit quite comfortably as they all snuggled down under the covers.

Draco looked as his wife over the heads of two of his children, reaching a hand over them, to hold hers, and gave her a soft smile.

Hermione squeezed his hand gently and held it to her, resting it just above her bandages.

"I love you." She mouthed silently at him, which he returned, followed by an air blown kiss.

Hermione smiled and closed her eyes, content with family beside her, her baby atop her, and her love's hand warm against her belly as she drifted to sleep.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Malfoy/Granger/Weasley children arrived late at Hogwarts. They were ushered by their head of houses to their dorms and all, bar one immediately went to their beds.

Scorpius waited until he was confident the tutors would be back in their beds, and snuck out of his bunk. Dressed warmly, in a hoodie, coat, and beanie, he crept along the corridors, and slipped out one of the side doors frequented by the cleaning staff. He ran down Hogwarts sprawling grounds until he reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest. There, after a quick search he found the hidden path, and followed it quickly, his breath coming out in huge clouds of white in front of him, the air cold against his face.

Snow crunched under his feet as he reach the tree. It was marked, quite succinctly by his own initials, along with those of his lover, inside a badly chiselled heart.

Scorpius climbed the tree quickly, swearing at the effort, eventually reaching the tree house hidden amongst its leafy branches with relief. He pushed open the trapdoor and climbed inside the little room built into the tree.

His heart swelled with relief, love and excitement as he saw Teddy's tall figure curled up in a pile of blankets on the mattress, his wand sitting loose in his hand, the end lit up to light the cabin. His shock of blue hair looked ethereal in the white light, and his angular, beautiful features were captivating, despite the light snores escaping him as he slept.

Overcome with emotional exhaustion Scorpius dropped to his knees and crawled under the blankets beside his boyfriend. The taller boy stirred as Scorpius settled in beside him, pressing close to his body warmth.

"Hey baby." Teddy murmured, still half asleep as a he felt Scorpius's familiar form against him. He wrapped an arm around his boyfriend and nuzzled his face into his chest. "I missed you."


	21. Authors Note

**A/N**

I am grateful to everyone who has read this fic, especially to my amazing reviewers. I know I don't reply often but I am so grateful to you all.

I just wanted to post a note assuring people that I have not abandoned this fic. It's been more than six months since I've updated, and that's because I've grown as a writer and I am no longer happy with this story.

I have just recently begun the arduous task of editing this story so that it can reach the point I need it to so I can continue it. I will be editing every single current chapter, in chronological order, and then posting new chapters.

Once a chapter has been edited there will be a note at the top of the chapter stating when it was edited.

I do recommend reading the updated chapters, as I will be making some major changes along with many, many small ones. If you don't want to go back (which I understand), you should be able to just carry on when the new chapters are posted as the key plot is still mostly the same.

It may take me a while to edit these chapters, there are 20 of them, but my excitement for this is story has been renewed and I will get it done.

Again, thank you so much to anyone still reading, and I am sorry that this will show up as a new chapter in the emails of those following the story.

You guys are the best.

Many thanks,

jeffthemermaid


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